Finding Family
by NicoleTheresa1
Summary: Judith Grimes also known as Lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up she is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior.With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell. Judith/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"CARL...CARL... No, where are you?" I screamed, whirling around looking at my surroundings. The night was creeping in, but the Georgia heat stuck around long after dark. My skin was sticky from the sweat of out running the walkers that had emerged into our camp._

 _"CARL." I called again hoping he would respond. More growls emanated from the walkers in the woods around me. I quieted down and picked up the pace of my running, remembering how to be quiet like daddy always taught me. Although he always reminded me that Daryl a man from our group when I was really little was much better at hunting and tracking. I would ask questions trying to get my dad or someone to answer but all they ever told me was that they lost him when we lost our home._

 _I kept up a brisk pace as the woods cleared into farm land, a big white farm house came into view and I ran for it pulling my knife from its spot on my hip and holding it firmly in my hand. I slowly crept up the porch and wrapped a few times on the still closed door. No rustling or moans came within a few minutes so I pushed open the door and slowly cleared each room. The place was almost perfect, aside from a thick layer of dust covering everything. After clearing both floors and bolting shut the doors and windows I plopped down on the sofa in the little living room. A large baby grand piano sat in one corner and a small TV sat in the other. I looked around at the walls and noticed a picture of Aunt Maggie, she was smiling her biggest smile while holding onto a trophy and standing in front of a horse. I stood up quickly and scanned more pictures. An older man and woman smiling brightly, a young blonde girl with bright eyes and a big smile and so many more photos._

 _"This must be Beth the woman who took care of me for a while." I said aloud to myself. "And Aunt Maggie's father Hershel."_

 _The pantry was still full of canned food so I placed a few cans in my back pack and got to work getting myself some dinner. Tonight I would sleep and tomorrow I would come up with a plan._

 _After my meal I barricaded myself in the room I assumed belonged to Hershel before they were forced to flee the farm. All the years I spent with my family I had heard the stories of before. A plastic container with a black book sat in the corner of the room. I walked over to it and picked it up wiping some of the dust from the cover. I pulled open the front section and the first thing I saw was a very young looking Carl and my dad looked pretty young too. But what got me the most was the thin long haired brunette staring back at me with brown eyes. My mom, I realized. I had never before seen what she looked like. I could only guess by comparing myself in the mirror. She was beautiful, strikingly so. I thumbed through the pictures of my family, happy, before the turn. Before the walkers took everything._

 _Of course I had heard the stories of Shane Walsh, my father's partner on the police force back in King County, the town I was meant to grow up in. I have heard of how my mother was carrying on with him when she thought my dad was dead and how people were and still are unsure of whether Shane or Rick was the one who actually fathered me. But none of that matters, only the family I know matters to me. I came to a picture in the back of the book. Two men in police uniforms stood side by side with Carl in between them. Carl smiled this huge smile, as both men looked at something in the back ground. On the uniform I could see the name Walsh, S printed in bold letters. "So that is Shane" I mumbled. After pocketing the family photo from the beginning I laid down on the bed and let sleep take over._

 _ **End Flashback**_

The thought of leaving Georgia scared the life out of me. It had been years since I was separated from Carl and even longer since I was separated from the rest of my family. When I was eight years old a group tore down the walls of Alexandria, killing my dad in the process. Carl and I got away and ran for as long as we could. Somehow we had made it back to Georgia where we moved around every few weeks. Not wanting to stay in one place. He kept training me on the things he had learned such as guns and sword fighting. Everything was fine while it was just the two of us until we went on a run when I was 16 and ended up being separated by a herd of walkers passing through the town. That was three years ago, and now I travel alone. Never staying in one place long, the longest stretch of time I stayed on my own was at the farm that my family had been on before I was born. The place where Carl was heeled after having been shot, the place where we lost many people.

The winter was settling in around me as I kept walking, having not learned how to drive I tended to avoid vehicles unless I needed to sleep in one at night. I stopped to listen, hoping the small footsteps I was hearing was an animal, I turned around as the sounds got closer, my knife out to protect myself from an attack.

"Whoa there girl." A tall surely blond boy said. He couldn't be more than sixteen. His blue eyes were striking as he looked down at me with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" I said with a slight accent, however his was much thicker than mine. "Have you been following me?"

"For 'bout a day."

"Why?"

"You shouldn't be alone out here, it aint safe." He said.

"I know that. I repeat who are you."

"Names Jackson, you?"

"Oh no, you are the creep who is following me, I am so not giving you my name kid."

"Kid?"

"Well yeah you can't be older than what sixteen?"

"True but you don't seem old enough to be out in the world wandering around."

"Technically I am an adult not that I should be explaining myself to you. I don't even know you and my daddy always taught me not to talk to strangers." I told him jutting my chin in the air like a petulant child. He chuckled a bit before speaking again.

"Well, I saw you were by yourself. You gotta group round here?"

"Yes." I lied easily.

"Liar."

"Excuse me?"

"You aint gotta fear me girl, my mama and daddy raised me right."

"In this world no one get's raised right." I told him earnestly.

"My mama was a good little church girl back in the days before the outbreak, she made sure she taught me good while the world taught me the bad."

"My name is Judith." I said giving in. "But I go by Judy."

"Well it's nice to meet ya Judy." He said giving me a shy smile. "I'm on my own now too. Wanna stick together?"

"I would like that." I said realizing that I meant it. I have spent so much time on my own that I had almost forgotten what it was like talking to another person. I smiled shyly at him as we got to walking down the old back road.

.

.

.

"So you from Georgia?" He questioned as we settled into an old abandoned office building in a small town.

"Yeah, I was actually born in a prison. I think I was six or seven months old when we had to leave it. Then I lived in Virginia until I was eight. What about you?"

"Born and raised in Georgia. Moved around a lot although we did stay in this old funeral home for a few years when I was real little." He said, he looked down at the bowl with peaches for a moment before he spoke up. "What did you say prison?"

"Yes why?"

"You wouldn't be lil' Ass Kicker would ya?"

"How in the hell would you have heard that name?" I asked my guard flying up immediately.

"Hey girl calm down, my mama and daddy told me stories of their time in a prison and how there was a baby that my mama took care of. My dad called the girl Ass kicker."

"Beth and Daryl?"

"That's them."

"Oh my god, they survived." I mumbled more to myself than anyone.

"Well up until a few months ago, at least as far as I know." He said sadly. A tear fell from his blue eye which he quickly wiped away.

"Oh my god if aunt Maggie knew that her little sister ended up with Daryl she would have a cow." I laughed slightly. "Last I saw them they all believed them to be dead."

"It takes more than a few walkers to kill a Dixon, girl."

"Wanna help me look for our family?"

"Hell ya."

 **Inspiration hit for this story yesterday and I couldn't not write it. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Judith you have to go to school today." Daddy said from the stove in the fancy kitchen in our house at the Alexandria Safe Zone._

 _"But daddy why, Carl isn't going." I whined, earning a glare from my dad in the process._

 _"Well kid you are 7 and Carl is 19 now which means he is done with schooling. You my dear still have a few years to go." I groaned as I downed the milk in my glass before grabbing the book with my school work in it and walking to the door. Aunt Maggie met me at the steps with Ben before walking us to the school building. Carl was outside the walls with Aaron learning how to track people to bring them into our town._

 _"Aunt Maggie will you tell us the story of Miss Beth again?" I asked her._

 _"Which story do you want to hear?" She asked me as Ben jumped up and down beside her excitedly._

 _"The one about the songs and the horses and the farm and..."_

 _"So you want to hear her life story again?" She said with a smile._

 _"YES PLEASE." Ben and I shouted together as we jumped up and down._

 _"Alright well, Beth Greene was my little sister. She had blonde hair and blue eyes and she loved her horse Nellie..."_

 _ **End Flashback**_

"So Judy, where is the rest of the family?" Jackson asked me as we kept up a good pace walking through the forest.

"Don't know, got separated from them when I was eight. It was just me and my big brother up until I lost him a few years ago. He's a survivor though so I don't think he is dead." I replied, hoping I was convincing him but really I was trying to convince myself.

"Well let's start by looking for my parents, then move onto looking for your brother."

"That's a good idea since you know they haven't been gone as long. Where do you think they would go?"

"Maybe that farm that my mama was raised on." He said shrugging his shoulders with a slight grunt. I smiled brightly as I came to a stop and faced him. "What?" He questioned in a grunt.

"You mean _the_ farm?"

"I aint gotta clue whatcha talking about girl."

"Hershel Greene's farm."

"Yeah."

"It is so pretty there, right after I lost Carl I ended up finding it and seeing all the pictures left behind." I said excitedly.

"I don't even see how it's still standin'" He said quietly. "Listen what happens if we don't find anyone else?" He asked me seriously. I stared at him and realized how scared he must truly be feeling. Here he was sixteen and on his own essentially. Now he was stuck with some stranger who he had only heard baby stories about. His blue eyes were hooded and partially hidden behind his hair.

"Then we survive."

"Really?"

"Yes really, Jack you and I we stick together now. We are essentially from the same group only divided." I tried to explain. "Family sticks together."

"My dad tried to tell me once how he never really felt he fit in with the group but they all did their best to make him feel wanted and needed. It wasn't until my mama got through to him once they were on their own that he really felt it though."

"I'm thinkin' that was more your mom then the rest of the family." I laughed. He smiled a shy almost smile as he thought of his parents.

"I'm positive Aunt Maggie would have loved you. She would have gotten over the initial shock of her little sister being with Daryl." I told him. "I wish I could remember them."

"My mama was very fond of you. She loved ya like ya were her own." He said quietly. "We should get moving, try and find shelter for the night."

"Yeah your right." I agreed as we began to walk again. About an hour later we stumbled upon a small cabin nestled between two tall oak trees. The door was closed and the windows looked to be boarded up already, but hey what place in this world wasn't already boarded up. "Let's check this place."

He nodded silently as he moved ahead of me to the door knocking a few times to get the attention of any walker that might be locked inside. When no sounds came back he slowly edged open the door and stepped inside his knife at the ready, I slid my knife into my grip and followed after him. We slowly cleared the three room cabin and met back in the living room kitchen area. "All clear."

"Let's barricade the door and settle in." I said to him.

"I'll get the doors covered if you wanna start getting dinner and a fire going." He suggested. I nodded my response and got to work building a fire in the small fireplace. Darkness would soon cover up the smoke from the chimney. I pulled out a few cans that I had stored in my backpack and found a clean pot in the kitchen. "All clear."

"Perfect." I replied as I dished some of the beans into a bowl for him and then myself. The dark had finally taken hold outside and the cabin remained warm from the small fire and the lingering heat from a hot summers day.

"Judy can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." I said looking up to meet his blue eyes. I hadn't really noticed how handsome he was, I never really wanted to see it before. I have heard all the stories of his parents and I know the idea of what DAryl looked like and I had seen that photo of Beth back at the farm, so I would only expect their child to be just as good looking. Is it wrong of me to think like this about him, he isn't technically family after all.

"Do ya think there is a place out there that we could find one day. You know a safe place."

"I had a safe place once, nothing stays safe forever so no I don't think there is any place out there that we could find that would be better than just wandering alone. How would you even do in a large group of people?"

"I aint never been around more than two people at once."

"It's suffocating most of the time, so many people always watching your every move, but then again it's nice knowing you have all kinds of people to watch your back." I told him. "Truthfully the only group I ever want again is my… our family." I finished. He nodded his head in understanding before digging into his dinner. "What kind of school did you go through?"

"My mama taught me reading and writing and math."

"was she a good teacher?"

"I guess, I don't know any different." I laughed realizing my own mistake. "You an me, we will be fine."

"Yeah we will." I replied.

A few hours later a loud bang hit the door, I jumped high in my seat next to the door as I had decided to take first watch. Jack jumped from the small sofa that looked so tiny in his hulking presence. Our knives and guns were at the ready as the barricade was being pushed. "Back away. We are armed." I warned in my most menacing voice.

"JUDITH!" I heard my name through the door recognizing the voice immediately, my eyes went wide as I began to pull the barricade away from the door.

 **Please let me know what you think of this story and let me know who you think is the person on the other side of the door?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to those who have reviewed. I hope you are all enjoying this story. It's different then anything i have ever writen so I hope it is going okay. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **Also I won't be able to update for a while as I am on vacation and will have very limited access to a computer, however my note book will be full and waiting for me to get home and update.**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Alright kids, today instead of our regular lesson's we are going to be talking about stranger danger." Miss Cassie, our teacher said after we all sat down and became quiet. "Does anyone know what to do if you come across a stranger while you are alone?"_

 _I raised my hand high in the air as she pointed in my direction giving me the floor to answer her question. "Don't talk to strangers. They will most likely be bad."_

 _"What do you mean by bad Judith?"_

 _"I don't remember it on my own but my Auntie Maggie and my daddy tell me the stories of how a bad man wanted our last home. He came in and took it and lots of people died." I told her. She looked at me with slightly curious eyes but didn't say anything._

 _"That is correct, strangers pose a very real threat. Back before the dead ones walked the earth their was people to help when strangers turned out to be bad. However as there are less people now and things are scarier outside the walls the same people who helped can't focus on it any more. Who know's what those people were called?" She asked the class. Ben raised his hand to answer. "Yes Ben?"_

 _"Police officers."_

 _"That is correct, while we have two police officers in our community the thing's they do are much different then what they used to do before the outbreak."_

 _"My daddy was a police officer before the outbreak It's where Carl got his hat." I told the class._

 _"Yes Mr. Grimes was a police officer back in Georgia before the outbreak and now here he helps keep things as calm as possible." She said. "What is the procedure here in Alexandria if strangers come in and try to take over?"_

 _"Find a grown up and use the special exit under the school and or church building." My friend Alex said from the seat beside me._

 _"That is correct."_

 _ **End Flashback**_

I pulled the last fo the barricade away from the door and swung it open to reveal the person standing on the otherside. "AUNT MAGGIE!" I exclaimed excitedly. I hadnt seen her since the fall of Alexandria and to see that she hadn't changed in all this time was amazing. I knew my voice hadn't changed much as I have grown, so the fact that she remembered the sound of my voice has me amazed. I pulled her into a big hug and held on tightly. I could see Jackson out of the corner of my eye shift nervously on his feat.

"I never thought I would see you again, where is Carl and your dad?" She said looking around the small room as she walked in the door.

"Daddy didn't make it out of Alexandria and Carl and I were together until three years ago when we got separated when a hoard of walkers showed up in our camp and I had to run." I told her. "Where is Uncle Glenn and Ben?"

"Right here." Glenn said pushing his way in the door with Ben in tow. I hugged them both quickly before going back over to stand beside a very awkward looking Jackson. "Who is this?" Glenn asked.

"This is Jackson, we met up a few days ago and we are now on the search for our family." I told them hoping they would get the hint and figure it out without us having to say it outright.

"Um, Our?" Maggie question with a raised eyebrow. A look I remember so well from before.

"Well ya, um, look at him and tell me what you think?" I snickered. Jack shuffled nervously and ran a hand over the back of his hand and stopped at his neck.

"Daryl." Glenn said matter of fact.

"Oh yeah he kinda reminds me of Daryl, I really miss him." Maggie said before realization dawned on her. "Wait if you look like Daryl and I know Merle didn't have any kids plus your two young to have been from Merle judging by when I know he died, then that means that Dixon had a kid but with who. He got out of the prison that much we all figured but who would he have been with like that. We never saw him with anyone, he didn't even really like people at all." Maggie kept on rambling.

"You wanna tell em." I asked Jack who just kinda looked at the floor, his face going red. He knew who Maggie was to his family. He knew what this would mean and how Maggie's life would change with this knowledge.

"My mama her name is Beth." Maggie's jaw dropped to the floor as did her knees. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears as Glenn knelt down next to her in a supportive way.

"Bethy is alive?"

"Um I don't actually know, I got separated from them a few months back when our home got overrun. Also she hates that."

"Hates what?"

"The nickname Bethy."

"Really, she never seemed to mind growing up." Maggie replied.

"I heard her and my dad talkin' one day about nicknames and stuff and she said she put up with it because her mama and daddy like to call her that but that if he ever tried she would do unspeakable things to him." Jack said as the room burst into laughter at the thoguht of the tiny woman Beth was described to be and the hulking man Daryl was.

"We will find them."

"you three are going to join us?" I asked my family.

"You bet kid, your both family and now we have more numbers again. We are going to do what we can to find as much of our family as possible." Glenn said from beside Maggie who had finally stood up.

"Where do we start?" I questioned seriously as Jack and Ben began putting the barricade back against the front door.

"It's time to go home." Maggie announced.

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.

 **What home do you think Maggie is refering too?**

 **Over the course of the story our group will find and reunite with most of the family, new members coming up next chapter. Care to guess which one(s) we will see next?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone, Vacation is over now sadly. But I did get to go to Seattle to see Emily Kinney live and I must say she is incredible. It was well worth the drive from Alberta Canada to see her show.**

 **Anyway on with the story…**

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Carl?" I asked with tears in my eyes. We had run from Alexandria three days ago. It has been three days since I saw my dad be taken down by a bullet to the head. Seeing that first hand would never leave me, Carl had been lucky in having missed the gruesome sight of our father failing to the hard ground as the bullet pierced him between the eyes. He saw his body lying there on the ground as he grabbed my hand and dragged me through the streets of Alexandria to the old church building which held the escape route that led into the forest._

" _Ya Judy?" he replied sitting next to me on the old fallen log I had found._

" _Do you think we are the only ones that got out alive?"_

" _No sis, I think others must have gotten out, I just don't know where they would go from here." He answered._

" _What if we go to that farm daddy and Aunt Maggie always talked about?"_

" _Can't. It's probably not standing anymore. Plus I was a kid and I have no idea where it is or how to get there. I mean I know it is in Georgia but that's basically it." He told me sadly. I wish we could get there, it would be nice to see pictures of my mom and dad. I had heard all my life the stories of my mom and how when the world first turned she had grabbed the picture albums they had and taken them. The albums stayed with them until they were forced off the farm one night in a hurry._

" _I don't even know what she looked like."_

" _It's just us now. We will survive." He said ignoring my last statement about our long dead mother Lori. He knew there was nothing he could do to change the fact that I would never know her or know what she looked like, or the sound of her voice. The thoughts always brought tears to my eyes, things I could do nothing about._

" _How do you know?" I asked him skeptically._

" _Because a lot of people have taught me how to be strong and be a leader. Dad taught me so much before and after the world turned into this ugly thing that it is. Right after the turn dad's best friend Shane he started to teach me all kinds of survival things that have stuck with me, and dad and Daryl and a few of the other guys in the group kept up that training even after Shane was gone. We can keep going, we have to. For them, for all of them. For mom and dad, and Shane and Daryl and Beth, and Maggie, Glenn, Carol, everyone had hope and we have to survive to make it worth it. Make the sacrifices worth it." I had never heard my brother speak so profoundly before. I hugged him close as we sat on the rock together._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"What do you mean by home?" I questioned the next morning as we were packing our bags to set out of the little cabin and head somewhere new. Maggie looked at me with big brown eyes, her brow raised with a mischievous smirk.

"Bethy would go to the farm." Maggie said.

"Yes but Daryl would look around the prison and anyone else that survived…"

"The only problem is Abe and Rosita they don't know either of those places. We never had a real steady place with them until Alexandria." Maggie argued. I stood there with Jack listening to them yap on and on. "I think we should try and go home to the farm."

"It is still standing. The house is anyways." I said quietly, adding my two cents into the conversation."

"Yeah and my dad would go to that prison, we checked it out once and it is still overrun. Ain't nobody getting in there." Jack added. Maggie and Glenn stared at us like we had two heads for a while before he spoke up again.

"Maybe Atlanta?" Glenn added.

"NO." Jack yelled grabbing everyone's attention. We all looked at him with curiosity shinning on our faces.

"Why?" Ben asked from the small sofa on the other side of the room. He had been super quiet all morning not wanting to break into the conversation his parents were having. It has always been hard for him to get many words in with how much his parents dominate the conversations.

"I don' wanna talk about it but no. My parents ain't ever gonna go there it would be pointless to look." He stormed out the door and down the dirt path that led into the woods. Grabbing my pack from the floor by my feet I followed him, leaving my family behind. I knew they would follow and it wouldn't take long for them to catch up to us.

.

.

.

"Jack?"" I said forming it as a question as I caught up to him. We were alone in the woods again and it was actually a ice break from the constant chatter since Maggie and Glenn had arrived.

"What?" He snapped.

"You okay?"

"Are you going to ask me what happened in Atlanta?" he questioned with a murderous look on his face. I stepped forward slightly, placing my hand on his large muscled forearm. He looked me dead in the eyes, willing me to try.

"No, if you wanted to talk about it you would but I see that you don't. I hope one day you feel comfortable enough to maybe open up about it but for now it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you are okay." I told him honestly. His eyes softened a bit and he leaned his arm into my touch slightly as a small barley there smile crept its way onto his face.

"Thank you Judy, means a lot to me." I smiled my most brilliant smile at him, his own lips rose up into a more prominent smile to match my own. The next thing I knew I was leaning in forward towards him as my eyes closed. Our lips met slowly at first as his hand found its way to the back of my head, tangling in my dark brown hair. His lips began moving against mine in this perfect rhythm, my lips parted allowing his tongue to access mine. After what seemed like ages but was probably only minutes we pulled apart. Our eyes fluttering open to stare at the other. "I'm…"

"If you apologize I think I might hit you. That was… wow."

"It's not weird to you at all?"

"We are not technically related. I only call Maggie my aunt because when I was young it was the right thing to do." I told him. He smiled a real genuine smile and I couldn't help the one forming on my own lips.

"Good because I really like that."

"Well me too. So I think we should do a lot more of that." I told him as the leaves behind us rustled signalling someone's approach.

"You two cannot just run off into the woods like that. Do you hear me." Maggie said putting on her crazy overprotective mom voice.

"Sorry." We both mumbled as we fell into step behind them. Our hands found eachother, fingers twining together. Everything was going perfect. We would find our family soon enough and a new home would find us as well. I never thought I would find someone in this world like Maggie did, but Jack, he is something entirely different. A good different.

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.

We walked up to a small house on the outskirts of a town called Juniper. It was off in the woods, away from other people. The perfect place to stay for the night to collect out bearings and make a plan for the next day. Glenn walked up to the porch and knocked on the door three times, hoping that on walkers lingered inside the doorway.

"Did my dad teach you that?" Jack asked Glenn. His blue eyes held amusement as he looked at his uncle. Ben stood off to the side with Maggie watching the interactions.

"Sure did." Came his soft reply and the sound of human footsteps approached the old wooden door. Glenn signaled for us all to hide as he waited behind the door to possibly attack the person on the other side. From my spot behind the tree I could see the man with the crossbow open the door. He hadn't seen Glenn yet but I knew exactly who he was. I jumped out from behind the tree quickly holding my hands up in a surrender form as an arrow whizzed by my head and impaled the tree.

 **Alrighty, please drop me a review to tell me what you think. Another chapter should be ready by this weekend. We are so close to another part of the family being reunited. What do think of Jack and Judy? I know he is a few years younger but hey it is the apocalypse. Also what do you think Jack's problem with Atlanta is?**

 **Have a fantastic week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. This chapter is going to be a little different as it is going to be from Jack's POV. Since it heavily involves his family I thought it would be nice to see into his mind. Like all the chapters it will start with a flashback.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"...Make up lies and say goodbyes, and meet me at the door..." My mom sang as she busied herself in the kitchen of the old funeral parlor we lived in. Before I was born they had cleared the place out of all the bodies of those who had died and made this place a real home. My dad always told me of how he never had a home like this before and my mom worked extra hard to make it perfect. "And let's get married tonight..." I got up from the small table and walked into the room with the piano, my dad was busy fixing one of the coffin beds that sat at the front of the room._

 _"Jack?"_

 _"Hey pa." I answered._

 _"Can ya help me a sec?" He asked as I walked closer to him. I knelt down next to him and grabbed the tools closest to me._

 _"Yeah." He started listing off tools as I handed them over. We didn't talk as we worked but we never did. Dad always preferred to stay quiet, only my mom was able to get him to really open up._

 _"Boys, dinner is ready wash up." She sang from the door. My mama always seemed to sound so musical when she talked, unless she was yellin and my dad._

 _"Alrigh'." My dad said as he slid out from under the table holding the coffin. "Come on kid lets go before she comes back."_

 _"Yeah." I laughed slightly._

 _We walked into the small washroom that we had fixed up to have running water and washed our hands and faces as per mom's rules. Walking into the kitchen mom placed plates for all of us on the table and lit the little candle in the centre. "Tomorrow we need to make a run for supplies, we are starting to run low on things."_

 _"Okay, Jack and I will..." Dad started to say._

 _"All of us will go." She cut in. "I am not staying here while you boys are out there on your own."_

 _"Alright." He sighed knowing full well that he would never win against Beth Greene-Dixon._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"Let's get a move on." Mom said from the shotgun seat of the beat up old pickup truck we had found a few years back. We had stockpiled a bunch of fuel over the years so we didn't need to worry._

 _"Coming mama." I hollered back slinging my bag over my shoulder and following my dad out the door and down the steps to the truck. After a few hours of driving we came to a small town I had never seen before, a few walkers milled about the streets but otherwise it looked pretty dead. Stepping out into the street, the hot Georgian sun beating down on us. We started to clear out the shops on main street, each of us moving like the wind not making a sound._

 _The groans of the undead filled the silence as we began to haul our finds back to the pick-up. "Jack, get to the truck." My dad yelled as I saw a flash of blonde dart out towards the pharmacy. "BETH." He hollered as his knife found purchase inside the face of the walker closest to him. "BETH." He called but she was nowhere to be found. He took off into the throng of walkers to find my mom._

" _DAD. MOM."_

" _RUN JACK GET OUT OF HERE." My mother's sweet voice called out from somewhere in the distance. I ran through the woods faster than I have ever run before. I knew to keep quiet even though all I wanted to do was call out for my parents. My parents who were nowhere to be found._

 _ **End flashback**_

I saw the arrow as it whizzed past Judy's head, her hands held up in surrender. Looking past her to the door I saw for the first time in months my father's leather clad form. I jumped out from behind the tree I was hiding behind, holding my own hands up in a similar fashion to Judith. "DAD stop." His eyes snapped from her face to mine, his expression went from hard and cold to soft and confused in a second. "Dad, please don't hurt Judith."

"Judith?"

"Hey so, Um hi." She stumbled over her words. "You might not remember me, I mean I don't actually remember you but I have heard lots of stories and stuff and I know it's been forever but…"

"Grimes?"

"Yes sir." She said shyly. He stepped down off the porch as Maggie and Glenn stepped out from their hiding places. Ben slowly came out as well.

"Dad are you…"

"Daryl, is Beth." The front door opened quickly and blonde hair appeared behind my dad.

"MOM." I said happily running up the steps and pulling my mom into a giant hug. "You made it."

"Oh my baby, you…" Tears were falling down her face as she released me from the hug and looked out at all the people. I left my mom's side and went to stand next to Judy. "Jack what's…"

"Bethy." Maggie said happily going over to hug her sister.

"Maggie." She said in a short clipped tone. "I see you are still alive."

"Beth what is with your attitude?" Aunt Maggie asked, her tone confused.

"Oh um aunt Maggie we have all seen the signs from years ago." I told her.

"Oh god, I um."

"Everyone let's just go inside." Dad said, I grabbed Judy's hand and followed him inside. My dad eyed me as he noticed out hands. Once everyone was sitting around in the small living room my mom began to speak again.

"Jack where have you been all these months, we searched that area over and over again hoping to pick up your trail."

"The thought to keep my tracks visible never occurred to me, I kept my normal routine until I found Judith about a week ago."

"Wait Judith?" She questioned looking over at the girl who's hand was still wrapped in mine. "As in?"

"Yep that's me. We ran into each other and he wouldn't let me just go on my own, he figured a girl shouldn't be on her own yadda yadda yadda." My mom smiled at Judy, her eyes softer than I have ever seen.

"I'm so happy you made it out of the prison. I was so scared for so long that you had…"

"I understand."

"Tyresse had gotten her and Lizzie and Mika out and then met up with Carol." Glenn said to my parents who just looked sad.

"Who all did we lose?" My dad questioned. My mom grabbed his hand and held on tightly.

"We lost Ty a few weeks after we escaped from this place called Terminus. After that we lost Carol in the first attack on this new community we were living in." Maggie said sadly.

"My dad, we lost him when I was eight. The community was attacked and we all got separated. Carl and I got out together and then a few years back we got separated." Judy explained. "We are searching for him now."

"You sure your old man…" Dad asked her directly.

"Yes, I saw the bullet… Um hit him directly in the…" She said placing her finger on the spot between her eyes. Dad looked down at his hands entwined with moms.

"I'm sorry Judith."

"Thanks." She let a tear slip out of her eye as she leaned into my side a little.

"So we are looking for more survivors from that group." I told my parents. "You too wanna help us all search or is Judy and I gonna go on our own." I questioned them, looking at everyone else in the room.

"No Jack, we are family, all of us and that means we all go together." My mama said sternly, a voice I remember well from all my years growing up.

"Beth?" Aunt Maggie asked.

"Yes."

"That scar on your forehead?"

"No you don't get to ask that." My mother snapped. "It is none of your concern." I looked up at my mom's face, taking note again of the small circular scar on her hairline. The memories of that awful time in our lives coming back to hit me in the face full force.

"What happened." She tried again. The fear founds its spot on my mom's face as she knew her sister wouldn't drop it.

"When Jack was only three, I was taken hostage…" mom started.

 **Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**And we are back to Judith's POV. I hope you all enjoyed taking a trip into the mind of Beth and Daryl's child. This next chapter is going to get a little bit more emotional than the others. This story will also be staying rated T and won't head into M territory. Let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _The trees filling the small green park swayed in the wind as I sat on an nearly broken swing at an abandoned playground. Birds chirped and whistled above me as the wind whipped around creating a slight chill. Winter was approaching now and all I could think about was how alone in the world I am. My dad is dead and Carl is gone, with now skills to track my brother it's just me in this world now._

 _The sounds of the dead filled the space, alerting me to the onslaught of walkers coming my way. Cursing under my breath I stood and held my knife tightly, prepared to fight off the attack. Soon the park was filling up from all directions, a herd larger then that one that split up me and Carl was coming for me and all I had on me was my hunters knife and a gun with very little ammo. I said a quick prayer to the sky as I took off running through the crowd of rotters pushing and shoving my way past. The decay made it easier for me to get through without getting bit or scratched but the reality of what could happen would always be there. A tall building came into view, I think Miss Cassie called it an apartment complex in class one day. I ran for it not caring if other living beings were inside ready to shoot me. The main door was smashed in but a gate like thing was still working so I shoved it across the door and locked it in place. My feet and legs were killing me as I found the door that led to the stairs, taking them two at a time I ran up six flights and burst into the hallway hoping with all my might that the inside wasn't crawling with walkers. Two ambled towards me, hiking my knife up a little in my hand I lunged for the first one sinking the knife to the hilt into the eye socket, she fell limp to the ground as I pulled the knife free and lunged for the second that was almost to me. "Not today asshole." I said plunging my knife into the temple. His teeth gnashed around as he tried to get me, I flicked my wrist shoving the knife further into the skull causing it to fall to the ground as the sound stopped. Pulling my knife free I stood back and took in my surroundings. I walked the hall quietly hoping no more walkers popped out at me, and luckily all was quiet. I began trying door after door until one on the end opened up to reveal a very neatly decorated home. Everything was in its place but covered in a thick layer of dust. I walked in and closed the door, propping a book case against it to keep out unwanted visitors I began my search through the remainder of the home._

 _The bedroom was amazing, it had a large queen size four poster bed and a vanity, snooping around I found old make-up stuff some of the older women in our town talked about and some Advil. The date had expired but hopefully it could still be used._

 _In the closet was an entire wardrobe of amazing looking clothing. Shuffling through them I found jeans in my size along with many shirts that would be great to wear in the world like this. A new pair of knee high boots sat in a box on the floor with weird tag things still on them. I looked down at the white tag hanging from the boot, $259.99, people actually paid money like that for shoes astounded me. I slipped out of the clothes I have been wearing for weeks and wandered into the bathroom on the other side of the large closet. Turning the tap on I found running water, ice cold but still running. Someone must have kept this place up to date after the world ended. Washing quickly so I didn't freeze I stepped back through the closet and into the warm clothes that I had picked out and slipped my feet into the expensive boots, effectively ripping the tags off. I had found a gold mine, all this stuff untouched. I went back out into the living room to check my barricade, everything still in place. This would be good enough for a few days._

 _The kitchen was emptied out of anything edible probably years before I was born. Pulling some items from my backpack I sat at the small round kitchen table to eat. Making myself comfortable but ready for anything on the big bed after my meal was finished. I could feel my face contorting as the tears fell from my eyes. Sobs wracked my body as the stress and realization of how utterly alone I am washed over me._

 _This could be the end of me, Judith Grimes. No one else out there would even miss me, my family is gone and I am alone. Soon the blackness took over as I fell into a nightmare filled sleep._

 _ **End Flashback**_

Beth finished telling the story of what they went through years before, Daryl sat by her side holding her hand tightly in his as Jack sat next to me with the most angry and pissed off look on his face. "Jack let's go for a walk and check the perimeter." I said pulling him up with me.

"No." Daryl said way too quickly.

"Dad really?"

"You just got back." Beth chimed in.

"And we will be fine. Let's go." He pulled on my hand as he led me out the door. We walked for about twenty minutes into the forest, silence hung around us as his anger dissipated.

"You okay Jack?" I questioned seriously as we came to a stop next to a fallen tree. He sat down on the wet moss covered log and looked up at me, his eyes dark.

"I hate when she tells that story, they almost took her from me."

"But they didn't win, you guys did. Your mom is in that cabin alive and well." I reminded him softly. His eyes seemed to lighten a little as my words took hold in his mind. "She went through all that, you all did but she came out stronger and I think you and your dad did as well."

"She couldn't remember us for a while after it happened. She woke up and didn't know anything. I thought we were going to lose her." He said sadly.

"But you didn't, you gotta keep that in your mind when she tells the story or when you see that scar." I replied.

"When I was alone and then with just you, I didn't even think about it."

"Do you feel guilty for not thinking about it?" I asked him, sitting next to him on the log and taking his rough hand in mine. I placed our hands on my leg as he cast his eyes downward.

"I shouldn't but I do."

"Hey I killed my mom technically so, I think on the guilt factor your should be good." I laughed. His eyes shot up to mine, a look of pure shock covered his handsome features.

"What?"

"My mom died giving birth to me and my brother had to shoot her in the head after so she didn't turn and attack the group. Aunt Maggie delivered me."

"And then my mom was the one raising you?"

"I guess for the first few months it was her that fed and changed me and all that." I said. "I don't remember it though."

"That doesn't make us defacto siblings does it?" He asked skeptically.

"I don't think so, and I sure as hell hope not." I laughed. His lips curved up into a small smile as he looked at me.

.

.

.

We stayed out there for a long while, enjoying the silence of nature and each other's company. "What did you do while you were alone?" I questioned.

"Wandered around and killed walkers. Not really much else to do but survive." He answered. "I looked around for my parents and then I came across your tracks instead of theirs."

"I'm glad you did, and I'm sorry for the way I acted that day." I told him. His smile grew a bit wider as I thanked him.

"You did the right thing, I may have turned out nice but..."

"Not everyone does." I finished. "It's just so random that we ran into each other in this world and we technically come from the same group."

"But never met because of what happened when you were a baby." He said. "My dad told me about the Governor once, all the things he did."

"My dad never talked about it, Carl my brother ended up telling me after we left Alexandria." I said. "He told me how he tortured our people, and killed many of them including your grandfather. Maggie liked to tell all kinds of stories about him. My favorite story was the one where your mom tossed Maggie's birth control medicine into a pond..."

"And then put on her most innocent face and told him they were doing nothing." He laughed as he finished the gist of the story. "My mom tells it a little differently though."

"Well of course." I replied. "Oh and the story of how he would save dogs that were stray and nurse them to health." I said. "Apparently they kept many of them over the years."

"Yeah my mom got bit by one when she was little which made my grandmother but a stop to the strays."

"Maggie never talked about Annette much, she mentioned her in passing a time or two but never embellished anything." I told him a little sadly.

"Apparently they have different mom's and Maggie didn't take well to my grandmother at first." He said, I smirked a little, realizing that that is exactly what Maggie would be like.

"She is a hot head." We laughed a little as the sun started to go down. "We should get back before they send out a search party."

"Yeah." He agreed. I stood to leave, he followed suit grabbing my hand and spinning me around. His lips found mine quickly, the kiss deepened as I moved my free hand to the back of his head to hold him in place. I moaned into the kiss as did he, we pulled apart slightly, our breathing ragged. "Now we can go." I laughed a full belly laugh as his hand wrapped around mine gently. The walk back to the cabin was shorter then it seemed before, but it didn't matter. All that mattered now was that Jack and I were together, most of our family was together again.

We opened the door and stepped into the warm cabin living room. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN." Daryl bellowed as the door closed tightly behind us with a thud.

"Dad really, you need to keep it down, don' wanna attract all the walkers in the area." Jack said much quieter than his father.

"I'm sorry we worried you sir." I said, his eyes went from hard and cold to soft and warm in a matter of seconds. "But hey the perimeter is secure."

"I know because I went out and checked it, you kids can't go off to far on your own anymore." He said softer this time.

"I'm not a kid."

"You are only eighteen." He said seriously.

"Um Daryl you are forgetting that you started a relationship with my little sister when she was only eighteen." Maggie piped in, coming to my rescue. He stumbled for words as Beth came in to save him.

"Hun just leave it okay. They survived all this time on their own no need to worry now and she is not a kid. Neither is Jack we have to realize that at some point."

"I don't want to."

"Daryl." She scolded. If it wasn't for the fact that he was insulting my age I would have laughed at the situation.

"Fine." He grumbled walking out of the room. She followed him quickly leaving us alone with Aunt Maggie.

"Where is Ben and Uncle Glenn?" I asked her. She looked back towards a small bedroom.

"Sleeping." She said simply. "You two were gone a really long time, you had us all very worried."

"We just went for a walk to clear our heads and talk a little. Nothing to crazy, we both had our weapons, we both know how to handle ourselves with walkers and other humans on the not so nice side."

"Judith I know that but you have to remember that you have family again who worries and it's not just you out there anymore."

"Alright, we will try and be better for you all." I said ending the conversation. I lay down on the small sofa, throwing my arms over my eyes to help me fall asleep. Dreams of Jack soon filled my mind, dreams of the future and of the past.

.

.

.

A loud bang on the door woke me from a deep sleep. Jack jumped up from his place on the floor by the sofa, his hand going to his knife automatically. The others soon emerged from the other rooms as snarls of the dead filled the air around us. All of us were on guard with our backpacks ready to go if needed. The banging kept on getting louder and louder as the door splintered and broke in two. Walkers began to flood the small cabin.

 **Let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Since I'm on a role I thought it would be fun to update faster then normal. Enjoy**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Daddy?" I asked as I pulled my legs up under me on the dining room chair. "Do you think I'm pretty?"_

 _"Of course Judy, why would you think otherwise?" My dad Rick Grimes said sitting on the chair next to me. My homework was spread out on the table in front of me forgotten._

 _"Some of the other kids at school were making fun of me today." I said sadly, he grabbed my hand in his larger one and squeezed gently. "They said I needed a mom to help make me pretty everyday and since I don't have one I can't be."_

 _"Those other kids are wrong sweetie, you are the most pretty girl in the whole world. You look just like your mom did."_

 _"Was she pretty?"_

 _"The most beautiful woman I ever knew." He replied. I smiled a big toothy grin at my dad as he sat remembering my mom, a woman I never knew. "Now why don't we get to work on some of this homework huh."_

 _"Okay daddy." I giggled pulling the word problems closer to me on the table. Carl came in then and sat on the sofa with Enid, this girl he met when he first got here. I think they are in love like Auntie Maggie and Uncle Glenn._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"RUN." Daryl barked as the walkers emerged on the cabin, the back door was flung open as everyone tried to get out of the small building. Jack grabbed my hand as we ran through the opening and out into the woods. No stopping and no looking back. We ran and ran as the darkness of night finally began to turn into light.

"Jack, we need to stop." I was breathless and my legs were aching. "We have been running for a long time now, we need to regroup."

"It's just us again." He stated looking around for signs of anyone else. I slumped to the ground in defeat as a fate worse than death came back to me. "You ain't alone Judy, I won't leave ya." He said sitting next to me in the cold moist dirt, his arm draped around my shoulder.

"We just found them Jack. We just found them and now they are gone again." I cried. "What if we can't find them again Jack, what if..."

"Then we survive on our own. We had been doing it before we found them and we can do it again." He said sternly pulling me in close to his side. "But for now we gotta keep moving." He finished pulling me to my feet and directing me west.

.

.

.

"This will have to do for the night." He said opening the door to a large mansion in what was once a fancy community.

"Oh yeah it'll do. God I hope they have a change of clothes." I muttered. After clearing the house we began our search for anything we could use and came up empty. We met back in the grand living room with its torn up sofa's and big marble fire place. "I bet this place was amazing before the turn."

"I bet this place was expensive."

"Like these boots I found a few years ago." I chuckled. "I had found this old Apartment that was untouched by this world, these were in the closet and I'm amazed they are still in okay condition. I mean the tag thing said they were over 200 bucks."

"People spent money like that on shoes?"

"I guess, I bet your mom did at some point in her life. I mean from what Maggie said cowboy boots were not cheap."

"She never talked about stuff like that."

"Do you think she is still mad at Maggie?" I asked him changing the subject. He sat down on the floor and leaned back against the once upon a time fancy sofa.

"You weren't there when my mom saw those signs for the first time. It was like her heart broke. The blood was nearly all washed off but you could tell what they said. 'Glenn go to terminus. Maggie.' And my dad had to hold her up for a good two hours as she stared at the words looking for any sign that her name was ever there."

"How old were you?"

"Three. We hadn't left the house we had been in until then. At that point we needed to find some place new and when we came across the signs my mom wanted to leave Georgia and her past behind. We never did though."

"Did you end up going to Terminus?" I asked him.

"Nah, mom refused thinking Maggie would be there and well my dad does whatever she wants basically, but oh god don't tell anyone I told you that."

"His secret is safe with me." I laughed. We stayed quiet for a while just enjoying each other's company, our hands laced together between us. "What are something's that interest you?"

"Dunno' hunting."

"Anything else?" I probed him, this is how I imagined everyone else felt about Daryl back in the day when trying to get information out of him.

"Tracking, and um I like bird watching."

"All things to do with animals and being outside."

"Yeah, it's a family thing I think." He replied. "What about you?"

"I like reading old novels, I mean now a day's every novel is old but I really like the ancient ones. My teacher had my class read Jane Eyre just before our town fell and other then the French parts that I couldn't understand, it was a great book. And I love collecting things like rocks. My old bedroom had this giant rock collection."

"So back before we were born people like Maggie would have called you a nerd. I think is what my mom said years ago?"

"Yeah and she has called me a nerd many times."

.

.

.

We stayed camped out at the old mansion for about a week, we found an old map and tried to map out where the others would go if separated but we had no luck. The forest around us felt like a safe haven away from the walkers and un friendly people of the world. The green was comforting and the sounds of the woodland creatures and birds above made it seem like more of a paradise then it actually is. "Human." He said holding his hand up before dropping down into a crouch to inspect the tracks he found. "Come on." He instructed as we moved quickly through the woods following the footprints.

"What are you seeing?"

"Female, size 6 or 7. walks light, she is trying not to leave a trace."

"But you found it?"

"My dad trained me, he can find anything. Most likely this is my mom."

A loud piercing scream echoed through the woods causing our heads to snap up in the direction it came from...

 **Let me know what you think. I know this one is a little on the short side but it is going somewhere I promise. Next chapter is going to be from Beth's POV so we can see what happened to the others when the cabin fell.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 **Beth POV**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"What does that say?" I asked Daryl as we came to a stop in front of an old electric box near the train tracks we started to follow a few days ago. I got closer to it squinting my eyes to see, as the message was distorted with age. "Glenn, go to terminus. Maggie." I stared at it in shock as my sister and brother in law's names were written plain as day on the wall in what I assume was walker blood. "Glenn."_

 _"Beth I'm sure she has an..."_

 _"Don't even try to defend her Daryl." He shifted our son Jack higher up on his hip as he watched me carefully. "She didn't even have the mind to add my name to her plea. All she is thinking about it Glenn."_

 _"Would you have put different?" He asked._

 _"How can you ask me that Daryl, of course I would, if I had been married at the time of the prison falling I would have added his name and hers. She is my sister and unless I knew 100 percent that she was dead I would always include her."_

 _"Wanna go to this terminus and confront her about it?"_

 _"No." I sighed. "Let's just move on and forget this happened. We ended up staring at the sign for a few hours as tears spilled from my eyes. Keeping a firm grip on our son, Daryl did his best to hold me while I cried._

 _Once we got walking again the forest seemed to comfort me in a way it never did before the end of the world. "You okay?" Daryl questioned._

 _"Yean I'm fine."_

 _"What do ya wanna do next?"_

 _"Leave Georgia."_

 _ **End Flashback**_

"JACK...JACK..." I yelled as I ran through the forest. I kept running and running calling out for my son, the son I had just gotten back when all hell broke loose again. I ran smack dab into something hard, tumbling to the ground with the other person I realized I found Maggie. "Maggie." I said a little cold.

"Bethy."

"Do not Bethy me Maggie, let's just go find the others." I turned from my sister and began walking, the wind blowing my messy blond hair around my face.

"When will you stop being mad at me Beth. I'm sorry I didn't write your name on that sign beside Glenn's, I'm sorry that I gave up."

I whirled around to face her again. "Did you really think that I was that defenseless. That I wouldn't survive without the prison."

"Honestly I didn't believe you even made it out of the prison. I didn't want to believe that you were out there alone and suffering so I shut off my thoughts of you because I couldn't go there." She explained.

"Well I searched for you. I made Daryl who had given up hope of ever seeing anyone again look for you and for everyone else. I didn't give up, I wouldn't let myself." I yelled.

"You need to lower your voice Beth or the walkers will hear you."

"LET THEM. I don't know where my husband or my son is. Judith is missing again too and if I am going to be stuck with just you alone I would rather the walkers get me."

"Beth."

"No just stop talking and help me look for our families." I snapped ending the conversation and starting to walk forward again. A few days passed as we kept up our wandering through the back woods of Georgia.

.

.

.

"BETH." I heard Daryl's rough voice yell from somewhere to my right. I spun on my heel looking for him. "Oh thank god." He said pulling me into a tight hug, Glenn and Ben followed behind him and did the same with my sister. "I thought you were... Wait where the hell is Jack and Ass kicker?"

"We don't know. I ran into Maggie, literally and it's been just us until now. I was hoping they were with you." I said on the brink of tears.

"Hey. Beth we will find them." He soothed as my sister and her family looked on. As a group we made camp in a clearing and then set out again first thing in the morning. "With any luck they are together." Daryl said as we walked on the next morning.

"You realize they are..."

"I don't wanna think about it." He said with a sharp tone.

"Daryl, they are growing up, it's bound to happen." I said lightly. "Would it really be that bad if he spent the rest of his life with Judith?"

"Well. No." He conceded. "Alright fine I guess." I could hear Maggie and Glenn chuckling somewhere behind me. I turned to glare at them before focusing back on my husband.

The next few days kept on in the same manor, we walked and camped and avoided talking as much as possible. My anger towards Maggie was unending, I tried to get it out of my head and forgive my sister but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

.

.

.

A small herd of about 15 walkers ambled towards us, leaves rustling and birds and other animals scattering away in fear. Sticking to a close circle we ran from the walkers with quiet feet. Once we were far enough away from the herd we stopped to take in our surroundings. "Everyone okay?" I asked.

"Yeah." I heard Maggie mumble followed by Ben and Glenn.

"Yeah, m' good." Daryl said from next to me. As we breathed in deep, relaxing a little bit, a low growl came out of nowhere and a loud scream filled our ears.

"BEEEEENNNNNNN." Maggie screeched as Glenn plunged his knife into the lone walkers head, effectively killing it. "NO. No. No no no no no." She cried falling to her knees next to her young son. His hand wrapped around the spot on his arm where the walkers teeth made contact. "Ben no please no." Glenn we have to do something."

Fast footsteps were approaching as I grabbed my gun from its holster and pointed it in the direction of the noise. Daryl did the same as Glenn and Maggie attended to their dying son. "Mom don't shoot." Jack said coming into my line of sight. My gun dropped as I ran to him and pulled him in close.

"Jack oh thank god."

"What happened?" Judith asked looking over to Ben and Maggie. "No Ben." She took the two steps over to him and knelt down next to him, taking his hand in her own. "Ben?"

"I'll miss ya Judy, thanks for being there for me." He fought to say. Judith had tears streaming down her face as she watched her best friend fade.

"What if we cut it off? We have seen it work before." I asked my sister.

"It's too close to the top of his arm if we cut there…"

"It won't work."

"Mom?"

"Baby boy, you're gonna be okay." She cried into his shoulder.

"Mom you gotta let me go, please don't let me turn. I'm gonna get to meet grandma and grandpa and all the other people you talked about over the years. Please mama let me go." His words brought tears to my eyes as Glenn brought his knife close to his little boys head.

"Want me too?" Daryl asked, he was always so good at taking the hard jobs on himself.

"No I gotta do it myself." Glenn told him.

"Come on Jack, Judith, let's give them some privacy." I said stepping away from the scene and pulling my son with me.

The sound of tears and a knife squelching through my nephew's skull rang through the air. I flinched knowing my sister was going through the worst thing imaginable and the last thing we spoke about was how angry at her I am. Or was.

Maggie and Glenn soon came to stand with us. "Maggie I am so sorry."

"Bethy." She cried, unable to hold herself together as she flung herself into my arms. I held her while she cried and Glenn stood back staring at the body of Ben laying a few feet away.

"We need to bury him, give him a proper funeral." Judith piped in. We all nodded our heads in agreement.

 **Well I hope everyone like this chapter, I know killing off Maggie and Glenn's kid was sad but it is the ZA and not everyone is safe forever. Next chapter we are back to Judith's point of view. Let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 **Here is the next update. I hope everyone is still enjoying this story. I have big plans for it. From an earlier chapter someone asked about the people that never knew the farm and you will find out what happened to them after ASZ fell it will just take some time as the focus is on the main family.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Judith's POV**

 **Flashback**

 _"Rick what do you think you are doing?" The scary Deanna lady questioned my dad in a mean voice. I cowered behind his leg as Carl stood beside him with the rest of our group._

 _"Taking over this place, you ain't cut out to keep running it. You don't understand what it means to be in charge of a place like this, with the world the way it is. I'm saving you from yourself." My dad said loudly, making the people around us shuffle their feet._

 _"You can't just take over Rick, the people of this town won't just let you get away with it." Deanna yelled._

 _"We can do this the easy way with you stepping down or we can do this the hard way and blood will shed." He said. "Your choice."_

 _"I won't give up my town that easy Rick."_

 _"Deanna, he knows more about leading a group then any of us." The nice lady named Jessie said from next to me._

 _"Jessie how dare you!" Deanna exclaimed._

 _"I'm sorry Deanna I love you but I have to stand by Rick on this one." Deanna looked appalled as she pulled a gun from its place behind her back. A single shot rang through the air as Jessie fell to the ground holding her shoulder. Daddy pulled his own gun as she fired hers, the bullet lodged itself in Deanna's tummy. Cries of pain rang around us as the town went into chaos._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"Ben was my best friend in the whole world. Back in Alexandria we did everything together. Well once he was old enough to walk on his own. I remember this one time we snuck out of the house and ran to the park in the middle of the night. Maggie and Carl were frantically searching the town as we sat giggling in a bush behind the swing set." Everyone laughed a little as I spoke of my memories of Ben. The disturbed dirt beneath our feet. "He loved listening to Maggie and Glenn tell stories of the farm and prison. His favorites were ones of Beth and Daryl the motorcycle riding god. As he described it not me." I could see Daryl's face turn beat red. "He was an amazing person and I will miss him terribly."

"Thank you Judy." Maggie said hugging me tightly. "I'll miss you Ben." She said placing a few wild flowers on the ground where his head lay six feet beneath the ground.

Turning from the spot where sixteen year old Ben lay beneath the ground was the hardest thing I had had to do in a very long time. We decided as a group to just keep walking, we didn't need to stop now not when everyone was so lost in their own minds. Eventually night fell and we needed to find a place to camp out, everyone slumped against trees as we fought to stay awake. "Think there is an old office 'bout a mile that way." Daryl said pointing North West. We followed his lead, picking ourselves back up and continuing on.

The building was empty and the doors and windows still intact. We hastily made our way inside and up to the top floor, barricading ourselves into a small office. Maggie and Glenn curled in on themselves in the corner while Beth went about humming a tune I have never heard before as she made up food for everyone. Daryl and Jack got to securing the room and setting up watch. Not knowing what to do with myself I got busy cleaning weapons, hoping with all my might that it would be enough to keep my mind off the events of this morning. "Judith?"

"Yes?" I answered Beth as she sat down next to me with a can of old stale baked beans.

"When you found Jack... Was he... was he okay?"

"I almost shot him." She chuckled a little at my answer. "Yes, he was okay, he was looking for you guys, and a little lonely but then he had more family then he knew what to do with."

"Because you ran into Maggie and Glenn right away?"

"Yeah, the next day actually. We were okay on our own though, I mean if we had to survive just us we could make it." I told her.

"I know, we raised him to be strong and I know Rick would have done the same with you."

"Michy helped a lot, her and dad they loved each other after a while." I said.

"Michonne?"

"Yeah sorry, I called her that because it was easier to say." I laughed. "He loved this other woman too, her name was Jessie. She had a husband at first but he was a bad man and soon died. When dad and Carol took over the town Jessie got caught in the crossfire and bled out. He got all angry and killed a bunch of people. Michy calmed him down and let Carol finish the takeover."

"Carol is she still?" Daryl asked coming to stand next to us.

"I don't know, she was with her husband Tobin when the attack happened. I didn't see her."

"Husband?"

"Yeah this guy from town, they got married a few years after we arrived in town. He is or was really great." I told them.

"Good for her." Daryl said going back over to the window and staring out into the darkness.

"They were close back when we were all together." Beth informed me. "He will be fine, he just needs time to digest all this information." She continued. "So tell me, what was your relationship with Michonne like?"

"She became like a mother to me. We were very close. I wish I knew what happened to her. She wasn't with me or dad when it all went to hell." I could see jealousy bubbling up within her. "But hey I'm sure that if we hadn't of been split up you would have kept on being the mom figure for me." The green monster slowly dissipated. "But I'm kinda happy you're not that person for me." I told her looking up at Jack standing by the window. A smile spread across my face as he smiled back at me. "It would really suck."

"Well perhaps one day you will be my daughter after all." She said snapping my gaze back to her. Her blond hair flowed down her back as she smiled a knowing smile at me.

 **Well let me know how you like this one. More coming soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Growing up on the farm was the best. We had so much land we could run around on and the animals were fantastic. Daddy would bring in all kinds of stray animals from the vet clinic and Annette never said a thing. Well at least until Bethy was bit by donkey he brought home. She shrieked bloody murder and our brother Shawn came running into the house dragging her behind him. Annette lost it and told daddy he couldn't bring anymore strange animals home."_

 _"Oh man, I wish I knew what she looked like so I could picture her screaming like that." Ben said as we sat listening to Maggie tell a story about growing up._

 _"It didn't even really hurt her or anything, she just flipped out. She blamed me because I had been playing music and it wasn't the kind of music that would sooth a donkey or as she liked to say, it wouldn't sooth anything." She laughed. "I mean it wasn't meant to sooth, I never liked that boring crap she always listened to."_

 _"What were you listening to?" I questioned._

 _"A rapper called Eminem. He was pretty great in my opinion."_

 _"Rapper?"_

 _"Yeah it has music in the background but the artist is yelling and talking fast instead of singing like normal. It was awesome."_

 _"That sounds horrible mom." Ben laughed._

 _"Yeah really bad." I giggled._

 _"Well you kids wouldn't understand since you don't have the same musical experiences that I grew up with."_

 _"Did grandpa Hershel like this rap?" Ben questioned seriously._

 _"Nope he hated it, it's why I went to the barn to listen to it. Annette always said it was Satan's music." We laughed as Maggie looked into space, remembering her parents. "Anyway once Annette got Beth all calmed down after her 'near death' experience and I had gotten yelled at for not doing anything, we all pilled into the old blue pickup truck and went into the diner in town for lunch. Normally we had home cooked food because Annette didn't see the point in spending money to eat out when we could stay home but since Bethy was 'hurt' she got to pick what we did for lunch."_

 _"Sounds like she was the favorite." I stated._

 _"Well she was the baby of the family. Our parents loved us all equally but the baby always gets a little more lee-way with things."_

 _"Why?" Ben questioned._

 _"I don't really know."_

 _"Did she bleed?"_

 _"Nope no blood just a lot of tears and a lot of screaming." She answered my question. We sat there cross legged on the floor of Maggie's living room while she jumped into another tale of her childhood._

 _ **End Flashback**_

Walking along the side of the highway, cars scattered everywhere with old things laying about in a mess, we stayed quiet. No need to bring unwanted attention to us. Everyone was still mourning the loss of Ben a few weeks prior. We stayed camped out in the old building for a few days trying to regain some composure. Eventually Daryl decided we needed to move on, we had to keep going. Only we don't have an actual place in mind, so we wander aimlessly through Georgia looking for places to crash. I slowed my pace as we came into view of an old house, it would have been very beautiful back in the day. I believe they called it a plantation.

Daryl and Glenn cleared the yard and porch before we all joined in clearing the inside. Not much was left in this big place but furniture and old appliances. We found a few frayed blankets and jackets in the back of a closet. "Let's search the basement." Jack suggested. I followed behind him quietly, leaving everyone else upstairs. "You okay?"

"I just miss Ben is all. He was my best friend." I told him. Ben had been there for me when things got crazy in Alexandria. Things had not always been easy with my dad losing Jessie and then his marriage to Michonne. We may have been kids when we first lost each other but the world made things hard and you leaned on the people around you for support. While I didn't have many secrets as a young child, I knew that if given the chance I could have shared the big ones with him.

"What's it like having one of those?" He questioned. I had forgotten that he lived a life so sheltered he only had his parents growing up.

"It's great. You have another person you can talk to about anything. This person doesn't judge you or want anything from you. He was the person I told all my secrets too."

"Secrets?"

"You are so not getting into my head to get them."

"I don't know much about best friends or friends in general but I'm here for you if you need to talk." He said seriously.

"I can't gush about you to you." I told him with a small smile.

"Gush about me huh? Did Ben hear all kinds of stuff?" He asked playfully.

"No. He died before I got a chance to really even talk to him again." I said somberly. Tears formed in my eyes as I plopped down onto the floor. He knelt down next to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I fell into his arms as I let the tears fall freely.

After what seemed like an eternity of crying I pulled myself away and stood up. We walked back upstairs and found everyone but Daryl fast asleep on the living room floor. He gave us a curt nod of his head before he went to lay down next to his wife. "I got watch if you wanna sleep." Jack said.

"No I wanna go do a perimeter check." I told him walking to the door.

"You want company?" He knew me well enough now to know that sometimes I just needed to be alone.

"Nah, I'm good. Keep watch from the window I'll be back soon." I replied hoping out the door and down the big steps to the grass. I wandered around the large property, my emotions were getting the best of me and I knew I needed to head back soon. A sound form an old shed startled me, I whipped my head around and came face to face with a person I never thought I would see again...

 **Alrighty folks here is chapter 10 in all its glory. I know it is short but I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think. Also who do you think it is that she has just come face to face with. A sneak peak at the next chapter for those of you who guess correctly. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**_

 _ **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**_

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Mom, when do you think daddy will be back?" I asked Michonne who was sitting across from me in the kitchen, our dinner of rabbit stew steaming in front of us._

" _Not for a few more days Judy, the people at hilltop needed his help."_

" _I hate when he goes away." I muttered. She gave me a small smile as she began to dig into her dinner. "I'm gonna go do my reading." I said standing from the table and taking my plate to the sink after we finished eating._

" _Of course." She answered doing the same. I watched her wash the few dishes before grabbing a book of her own to read. We sat in a companionable silence as we each read a few chapters. A few hours after we sat down to read the front door banged open letting in some of the fresh fallen snow. I looked up to see who had entered and giggled when uncle Glenn appeared in his big parka jacket and a scarf. "Glenn?" Mom asked confused._

" _Mich, I gotta talk to you outside." She stood up to follow him outside, she turned to give me a quick look which told me to stay inside. She slid into her coat and the pair walked out the door into the cold night, instead of worrying I turned back to my book._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"Your alive?" I asked in shock as I stared into the dark coloured eyes of the one person who has always been a mother to me.

"Judith?" She asked shocked herself. I flung myself forward into her arms, tears streaming down both our faces as we held onto each other. A nasty wind began to pick up around us, howling and blowing dried leaves all around. "You survived out here." She stated.

"Yeah Carl and I got out together." I told her, a hopeful looked crossed her face as she pulled me into the shed behind us.

"Carl is he?" She asked. It was then I remembered the close bond my older brother had with the sword wielding woman who became our mother. "Is he inside the house?"

"No, we got separated a few years back, I spent time alone before I found a group of people. We should go inside." I said.

"The wind is picked up pretty bad we should stay in here."

"But mom the house is way better. Why are you camping out in here instead of in the house?"

"I'm alone, the house is too big to secure and I prefer the small cramped quarters when it's just me." She replied. I smiled up at her since no matter how old I seemed to get she was still going to be miles taller than my 5 foot 2 inches.

"Have you been alone this whole time?" I questioned seriously, hoping she would tell me that the death of my dad was all in my head and he was just out searching some other small town for supplies. However the rational part of my brain knew that was crazy and he was truly gone for good.

"Nah…" She started to say when a loud voice sounded in the distance, carried to us by the wind.

"Judith? JUDITH!."

"Shit that's Jack, come on to the house, there is a lot of people and I think you might be pretty happy to see a few of em." I said this time pulling her out of the shed and towards Jack who was standing near the back porch. "Jack, I found a friend." I said as he raised his weapon to defend against my mom. "Let's get inside. She is no threat."

The three of us walked inside to find the others wide awake now. "We were so worried about you being out there on your own with this storm that's coming in." Beth said rushing to my side. Her head snapped up as Michonne entered the room behind me. "Michonne?"

"Beth?" mom said surprised. "Oh my god, I haven't seen you since the prison, your still alive?" She said almost unbelievably. Daryl appeared beside Beth and placed his hand on her lower back. "Dixon?"

"Ass kicker wasn't sure if you had got out of that place you's were living."

"I got out with Tara." She stated. All eyes in the room were on her as Maggie and Glenn came to stand with us. "Lost her about a year ago." Glenn turned his eyes down to look at the ground at the mention of his friend.

"She dead?" Mom nodded her head to him.

"Yeah, herd got into the department store we were holed up in. She got away but ran right into a second herd. It was too late once I got to her." She told them, Maggie teared up and Glenn held her close. "Who's this?" She asked looking to Jack who had his arm around my shoulder.

"This is Jackson Dixon."

"Dixon as in?"

"Yeah yeah let's not make a big deal about it." Daryl said walking away and over to the fire place that had been lit sometime while I was outside.

"Alright then." She said as she looked around the room. "Where is Ben?" Maggie fell to the ground with Glenn still holding tightly. She looked back to me with sad eyes.

"Few weeks ago, we got attacked by a herd in the woods."

"Oh god, Maggie, Glenn I am so sorry." She apologized quickly. Silence filled the room then as Maggie's cries softened. Soon she fell into a fitful sleep.

.

.

.

"Time to wake up people, we gotta long day of walking ahead of us." I said cheerily the next morning. Groans filled the air as my family awoke slowly, rising from their places on the floor of the large mansion we were staying in.

"Can't we just stay here Judy, and sleep more." Glenn moaned.

"Nope, we gotta see what damage the storm did and make headway on our way to finding either a new safe place or other members of the family."

"Fine." Beth grumbled.

I knelt down next to her head as her eyes slowly slid open. "Were you not the one who was getting up with me as a baby and making sure I was fed first thing."

"You were a baby and cute then, now you're an adult and it's not so cute." She said. Jack stood next to me laughing as him and Daryl were already awake and ready to go. "I hate all you early risers." She mumbled next.

"I second that." Maggie chimed in.

"Yeah as a pizza boy, evenings and late night was my thing." Glenn piped in with a small chuckle.

"What's a pizza?" Jack asked from his spot now by the window.

"The most amazing thing in the whole world that I wish you would be able to try." Glenn added. His eyes were open and I could tell his mouth was probably watering at the thought of the food he loved so much from his past life before the end of the world.

"Okay well let's get off the thought train of things we will never have and get going." Finally they started to listen, pulling on cleanish clothes and grabbing a quick bite everyone was finally ready to hit the road.

It was great having my mom back, and even though I knew she would give me a hard time about Jack it didn't matter to me. She sent questioning looks our way when she would notice his hand on my back or when our fingers entwined together. "So Michonne tell me, how was Judith growing up?" Beth questioned after the silence became too much for her.

"She was the sweetest kid, she listened and normally did what she was asked. Unlike Carl.."

"Oh yeah I remember Lori was always looking for Carl, he never did what he was supposed to. The night we lost the farm he was supposed to be in the house but instead he had taken off outside. Lori freaked." Beth said.

"You knew my mom well?" I asked her.

"She was there for me after my mom died, I had gone into shock and my dad was off in his own world upset by the events that had happened. She kept me company after I tried to take my own life." She replied. "I helped her a lot through her pregnancy."

"Oh."

"I wish I had been able to save her, she was a good mom."

"Shit happens." I said indifferent.

"Judith!" the both exclaimed loudly at my curse word.

"I am eighteen and the world is crappy I can say a few curses thank you very much."

.

.

.

Music filled our ears as we came to a large wall, no guards were visible from our view point in the tree line. "Walls only create the illusion of safety." I muttered under my breath.

"Do you think they are dangerous like the hilltop people?" Glenn asked Michonne and Maggie.

"Only one way to find out." Maggie said quietly. "We can either keep going and avoid this place or we can check it out."

"We could have people inside these walls." Michonne added. "We don't know what happened to the others."

"What about going home like Maggie said weeks ago. We could go back to the farm and hide there again maybe Carl would stumbled across it at some point." I added. "Then we don't need to worry about new people, we don't have to wonder if they are going to kill us."

"Judy is right, these people could be like the governor." Beth put in.

"Bethy, the governor was child's play compared to the last guy we encountered." Maggie told her sister who shivered at the thought.

"Check the woods, I saw movement." A familiar voice yelled from the landing point on top of the large metal wall. A tall thin man walked forward with his gun raised in the air ready to fire at any time.

"Carl. It's Carl." I said stepping out from the shadows. "CARL." I smiled widely.

"Stop right there." He commanded.

"What?"

"I said stop, lower your weapons now. All of you." He said in a demanding scary voice.

"Carl I don't…"

"How do you know my name?"

 **Well let me know what you all think of this little twist!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**  
 **  
**  
 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 ** _Flashback_** __

 _Sitting in the big bay window in my room in Alexandria I thought about all the things I had, my family and extended family, food on the table three times a day, and a school that taught me about all kinds of things from the past. "I am glad you are sort of getting the childhood I always wanted for you and for Carl. I wish he had been given the chance to grow up like I had. Carefree happy." Daddy said sitting across from me on the bed earlier in the day._

 _"What do you mean daddy?"_

 _"I mean that the world wasn't like this when I was growing up, we didn't have to fear walkers or other people." He said. "I could go by myself down to the corner store and buy a candy with my allowance."_

 _"What's allowance?" I questioned._

 _"Back when we used money, it was to buy things, parents would give kids money for doing chores and other things around the house."_

 _"That sounds pretty cool. I wish we had stuff like that." I told him smiling. He stood up and walked over to me where I remained sitting on the window seat. His big warm arms circled around me and held me tight. "I love you daddy." I said after a while of silent hugging._

 _"I love you to Judith. More than the whole world."_

 _Coming back to the present Carl walked into the room and plopped down on my bed with his girlfriend Enid in tow. "Judy, whatdya say to coming to the park with Enid and me?"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Well we wanna hang out with you." He stated._

 _"Since when, you never wanna hang out with me not since you started dating Enid." I said in my most cranky whiny kid voice._

 _"Hey that's not true." He defended himself._

 _"She's right Carl you don't spend time with her anymore." Enid said sitting down next to me and grabbing my hand. "But Judy that's all going to change. Carl is going to be the best big brother. I won't let him keep on ignoring you."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because we love you."_

 _"You do?" I asked with tears forming in my eyes._

 _"I sure do and I hope that one day you and I will be sisters." It was then that I saw the shiny ring on her finger. Just like the one Auntie Maggie wears._

 _"You guys are getting married?" I questioned as I dried my tears on the back of my hand she wasn't holding. "When?"_

 _"We don't know the specifics yet we just wanted to tell you and we wanted to let you know that..." Carl started to say._

 _"That I want you to be my maid of honor." Enid finished._

 _"I don't wanna be a maid." I said not fully understanding what she was saying. She laughed lightly as she squeezed my hand._

 _"Not a maid to clean, the maid of honor is the person who stands up at the alter next to me and helps me pick the dress and makes sure everything is going perfect."_

 _"Oh then I want to be that." I said excitedly._

 _"Perfect. Then you and me get to start planning everything." I moved to hug her and she held me close as well._

 _We only had a month to plan the whole thing because they wanted to be married as soon as possible. The wedding itself was perfect and so pretty. Enid looked amazing in her white sundress and converse shoes. She made my brother happy and that made the rest of the family happy as well._

 _Walkers came raging through the gate along with other people. The walls were falling down around us and chaos ensued. I looked around searching for my dad and for Carl or Enid. I saw her running to the far wall where she used to sneak out with Carl and up she went, I wanted to follow her and I started to but I heard my dad's voice call out. "Judith... Judith..." I looked around frantically for any sign of my father._

 _"Daddy." I yelled as I started to run towards him, A bullet shot out and he collapsed to the ground in a heap with blood pooling around him. Strong arms caught me mid run and yanked me backwards towards the clinic. A secret passage way under the town had been built by daddy in case of an event like this. I struggled in the arms of the person holding me, tears were falling down my face like a waterfall._

 _"Judy calm down we gotta get out." Carl said softly into my ear in the darkness of the tunnel. "We are gonna survive this."  
_ _ **  
End Flashback**_

"Carl?" I asked in shock.

"Who the hell are you?" He said again this time louder. I kept a strong hold of the knife in my hand unsure of what was really happening. This man before me was my brother no doubt in my mind, he was skinnier then I remembered but still my brother. His long hair was unruly around his face and his eyes were the same only harder and more cold then I have ever seen before in my life.

"It's me Judith." I said in a quiet voice.

"I don't know you." came his reply. A few other men surrounded him then. "Take them to the brig." Carl ordered before the men who had joined him hauled us all through the front gate and into a holding cell in what I can only assume was a police station before the world turned to shit. Luckily they kept us all in the same cell, Beth stood off to one side with Michonne going over plans to escape.

"He doesn't know me."

"If it makes you feel better he doesn't remember me either." A voice rang out from another cell just out of our line of sight.

"Enid?" I asked timidly.

"I'm so glad you got out okay Judy." She said and I could hear the tears in her voice.

"I tried to head to the wall to follow you but daddy called me and then..." I said trying to hold myself together. "Then I saw dad get hit and Carl grabbed me. We got out but then I lost him and now..."

"I don't know what these people here did to him." She said sternly. Then out of nowhere she started to bang on the bars and scream bloody murder. A man came down to inspect the noise. "Please put me in the cell with the others."

"Why?"

"Because I have been in here alone for so long and I just want to be near other people. You understand don't you." The big man shrugged as he unlocked the cell and roughly pulled her out, keeping his hand on her arm then yanking open our cell to throw her in. "Michonne, Maggie, Glenn. It's so good to see familiar faces again."

"You too Enid. Do you know if we have any other people in this place?" Maggie questioned giving my sister a hug. 

"Yes, Abraham and Rosita are here but they are different now, brainwashed just like Carl." She told us. "I first saw Abe when I got here, he looked right through me as though we had never once met before, like he wasn't at my wedding or anything."

"Oh Beth, Daryl, Jack this is Enid my sister in law. Carl and her married about a year before the town was taken over." I told the others who were staring at her like she was some crazy deranged stranger. They nodded in understanding as Enid went back to her story.

"And then Rosita brings the food down to us prisoners, same thing." She finished. I looked over at Daryl and Beth who had no idea what was going on.

"Abe and Rosita are people the Glenn and Maggie actually picked up and added to the group after the prison fell. We met Enid at Alexandria."

"So these people are family and yet they don't know you?" Beth asked skeptically. Her blond hair was matted to her forehead.

"I think they may have been brainwashed but they may have experienced trauma that has caused their memories to disappear." Enid said sitting down on the floor and leaning against the wall next to Maggie.

"Well whatever is going on we can't worry too much on it. We need to find a way out." Daryl said still standing near the barred door. His stance was that of someone ready to go and fight at a moments notice. Footsteps sounded on the steps leading down to the holding cells. We all stood up and braced ourselves for more hell.

 **Who do you think is coming down to see them? What is going on with their memories? Take your best guess and let me know what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Now everyone listen up. This cannot happen again, we cannot have the infighting. The world outside is hell, people die all the time out there the dead are walking the earth." Daddy said from the front of the crowd. The adults had already cleaned away the bodies of those who died in the fight. Miss Jessie was gone and my dad was finally able to form full sentences. Now the anger he was feeling was radiating off him in waves as he stood addressing all the town's people. "We can't be hurting each other we have too much to lose."_

" _Rick what do you think we should do?" one of the elderly ladies asked seriously._

" _First of all we need to make a plan for how we are going to deal with weapons. Having them locked away was not smart, letting only a select few have access limits safety. Training, everyone in town must undergo weapons and combat training. I will set up a schedule, Abe and Daryl will lead the sessions."_

" _Will weapons really make us safer, if everyone has them?" Another residents spoke up._

" _With proper training and as long as people don't go rouge like Deanna did. Now she will survive the shot to her stomach and we will deal with her later." He said._

" _Alright Rick, we trust you to make the right choices for our town." Tobin said with his hand on Carol's lower back._

 _ **End Flashback**_

The footsteps grew louder the closer they got. Enid stepped in front of me in a protective way much like Jack was doing on my other side. Fear gripped my heart for a moment as my brothers face came into view. "Carl what is going on please…" Enid practically begged from her spot in front of me, her hands held the bars tightly.

His eyes flashed up to look her in the eyes and for a moment I thought I saw a bit of recognition. "If you want to get out of here you people need to stop acting like you know me." His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke directly too his wife.

"What?" Beth hissed coming forward towards him.

"Listen to me, you all just need to do what they say." He said turning on his heel, his hand resting on Enid's for a brief moment. And like that he was gone. My brother was gone again and we were more confused than before.

"He knows me." She whispered sitting down on the floor again. "What is going on in this camp?" She said forming it as a question.

"All I know is we need to find a way to get out of here and we need to get Carl away from these people." Mom spoke up from the corner.

"Do any of ya got any of them hair pin things?" Daryl questioned.

"What hair pins?" I asked unsure of what he was talking about.

"Bobby pins were hard to keep track of before the end of the world now it's been years and you think we girls would still have any?" Beth says sarcastically.

"Beth." He said exasperated.

"Sorry, no hunny I don't have any pins." Her smile met her eyes something we hadn't seen in a while.

"I have this." I said holding a small lock picking kit up.

"Judith why didn't you pull it out before?" Daryl asked me, his eyes hard.

"Well I don't really know what it is I found it in this apartment I was living in for a while after I first lost Carl and it seemed like something I should keep."

"This is a lock picking kit. Cops and thieves used to keep this" He told me pulling it from my hand. His eyes scanned the area for any guards. His hands moved deftly to unlock the cell door, a loud click rang through the air making us all freeze unsure if it was heard by someone else.

"Enid do they have regular patrols?" Beth questioned.

"I don't know once I was caught just outside the gate I was dragged in here and I haven't been out again. They feed me and keep me down here. I don't even know why." Enid replied.

"And they haven't tried to mess with your memories at all?" Mom asked her.

"Not that I know of. Carl brings my meals down here and he tucks something into the drain in the middle of the room and then he leaves. He never speaks to me or really even looks at me." She answered. Daryl opened up the door and walked into the middle of the room. He handed me back the lock pick so I could stuff into my boot again. Bending down he began to inspect the drain in the centre of the room.

"There are pills down here, tons of em." He spoke up, his voice still soft and quiet like the hunter that he is.

"Pills? Do you think they feed them pills to make them forget, it could be some kind of medication from the before that has that type of side effect." Maggie said speaking for the first time in a long while.

"Could be. Come on let's get out of here and try and find our weapons." Glenn spoke up leading the way out of the cell and following Daryl closely as we all started up the steps.

We stepped into the white blinding light of mid-afternoon, my eyes adjusted quickly and I scanned the area for any dangers. A man was running up to us, his red hair and beard contrasted with his large build and military style clothing. I realized it was Abe who was running for us, Daryl pulled a knife the team had not found and held it to Abe's neck. "whoa there redneck."

"You are gonna help get us out of here ya got that." Daryl said his voice low and threatening.

"Abe, it's me Judy." I said walking a bit closer, Jack grabbed my arm to pull me back but I pulled out of his reach as I kept going towards the man who I still considered family.

"Don't know ya kid." He said. "You best be letting me go now redneck."

"Not until you get us out of this place."

 **Well what do you think is going to go down next?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 **The flashback in this chapter is going to be a bit different as it is from Beth's POV from the prison back when Judy was a baby. The actual main part where we are in present time is going to be from Judiths POV. I will try my best to make that clear.**

 _ **Flashback- BETH POV**_

" _They hung a sign up in our town_

 _if you live it up, you won't_

 _live it down_

 _So, she left Monte Rio, son_

 _Just like a bullet leaves a gun_

 _With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips_

 _She went and took that California trip_

 _Well, the moon was gold, her_

 _Hair like wind_

 _She said don't look back just_

 _Come on Jim" I sang to the sweet little baby laying in my arms in the early morning light. I had gone into Rick's cell to grab a fussy Judith as the sun rose. Rick of course was already up and out for the day as he always is now._

" _Oh you got to_

 _Hold on, Hold on_

 _You got to hold on_

 _Take my hand, I'm standing right here_

 _You gotta hold on" This song always made me happy and so I figured it would make Judy happy as well. I walked her around in little circle's around the open space in the prison yard. Daryl stood on guard in the tower not too far from here and Rick was off in the distance in the garden with a still very tired looking Carl._

" _Well, he gave her a dime store watch_

 _And a ring made from a spoon_

 _Everyone is looking for someone to blame_

 _But you share my bed, you share my name_

 _Well, go ahead and call the cops_

 _You don't meet nice girls in coffee shops_

 _She said baby, I still love you_

 _Sometimes there's nothin left to do_

 _Oh you got to_

 _Hold on, hold on_

 _You got to hold on_

 _Take my hand, I'm standing right here, you got to_

 _Just hold on._

 _Well, God bless your crooked little heart St. Louis got the best of me_

 _I miss your broken-china voice_

 _How I wish you were still here with me_

 _Well, you build it up, you wreck it down_

 _You burn your mansion to the ground_

 _When there's nothing left to keep you here, when_

 _You're falling behind in this_

 _Big blue world_

 _Oh you go to_

 _Hold on, hold on_

 _You got to hold on_

 _Take my hand, I'm standing right here_

 _You got to hold on_

 _Down by the Riverside motel,_

 _It's 10 below and falling_

 _By a 99 cent store she closed her eyes_

 _And started swaying_

 _But it's so hard to dance that way_

 _When it's cold and there's no music_

 _Well your old hometown is so far away_

 _But, inside your head there's a record_

 _That's playing, a song called_

 _Hold on, hold on_

 _You really got to hold on_

 _Take my hand, I'm standing right here_

 _And just hold on."_

 _I finished the song and her cries had settled down and she was sat high up in my arms looking at me with a big goofy grin, her tiny fingers were bunching the necklace I kept around my neck as babbles escaped her little lips. "who's a good baby." I cooed._

" _Ass kicker is." Daryl said appearing behind me. I jumped in the air as I had not realized he had left his spot in the towner. "You should pay closer attention to your surroundings." He commented._

" _Right, I'll um I'll work on that." I replied. "Thanks." He walked away from me then and I stood there staring after him like he had just given me the best gift ever. God I am so stupid, Daryl Dixon would never ever give me the time of day let alone anything more. But my god he is hot. I shook my head to clear it of the thoughts forming._

" _Hey Bethy." Maggie said coming up to stand next to me, her hand reached out to play with Judith's little foot._

" _Hi." I didn't even think of how my one worded answer was going to get to Maggie._

" _Okay what is going on with you?" She question popping one hip out and staring at me with a pointed look._

" _Nothing, I'm sorry I just got distracted." I told her._

" _By Daryl?"_

" _No. No." I said to quickly._

" _He is way older then you Bethy."_

" _Listen I know how old he is and it's not that anyway, he would never even look at me then more than a stupid kid. He just startled me is all." I replied._

" _Mmmhmmm."came her response as she turned to go into the tower for her watch shift. I looked back to the door to C block and wander back towards my cell where the red plastic cups sat for Judith to play. I placed her down on the floor and grabbed a book off my little table hoping to turn my thoughts from Daryl Dixon of all people._

 _ **End Flashback**_

Judith's POV

"Nah, you people ain't getting out of her that easy." Abe said pulling away from Daryl and holding him by the arms. He let out a loud whistle I knew meant others were coming.

"He called others, Daryl, we gotta go." I said sternly hoping we could find a way to get away from one of the people I used to call family.

"Nice try little girl." Abe said still keeping a tight grip on Daryl.

"Listen Abraham, we don't want any trouble okay, how about you let us go and we promise not to come back, hell we will even leave the area and none of you will ever see us again." Maggie tried.

"Nah, I think what Miller wants is better." He replied pulling Daryl along and back towards the jail.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO." I screeched as a hand reached out to grab me, I took off running towards where I knew the wall was.

"JUDY." Jack yelled following me. I burst through the gate which had been opened to allow some people from the settlement to enter. Jack was close on my heels as we pushed into the woods. I didn't care if I was alone or with him or the group I just knew that being force fed unknown pills was a bad Idea. Behind me I could hear a scuffle and Abe yelling out.

"Keep goin'." Daryl said rushing past us with Beth towing behind him. I could hear the familiar footfalls of Glenn and Maggie and Enid. I turned to see Carl standing at the gate watching as we left.

"HOME." Maggie yelled, I saw out of the corner of my eye him nod slightly before going back and closing the gate.

"Keep runnin." Daryl said breaking into my thoughts of Carl being left behind.

.

.

.

We made it a fair distance before Daryl would let us stop. "How the hell did we all get out of there alive?" Glenn questioned but I could tell it wasn't really a question he was asking.

"WE DIDN'T." I barked, my anger flaring as I saw my brothers face at that gate with those evil people who were keeping him hostage and making him forget me and everyone he loves. I looked over and saw Enid slumped on a log shaking with the sobs she had been holding in for so long. "CARL IS STILL…"

"Judith I get it but you need…" Beth started in her mom voice.

"NO DON'T TELL ME…"

"Ass kicker that is enough, if ya wanna get Carl back ya gotta calm down and stay alive and to stay alive ya gotta stop yelling and callin' all the goddamned walkers in the area." Daryl said sternly in his I mean business voice.

"Really, ass kicker?" He smirked as I smiled slightly calming down from my previous fit of anger. "Fine but we need a plan, we can't just leave him there."

"He remembers." Enid said standing up and wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks. "He didn't show it before but he does, I could see it that last time when he talked to us. I think he is playing there game to stay alive."

"Well how do we get him back?" I questioned.

"None of us can go back there. They know our faces and they have guards everywhere waiting and watching for us. I think they expect us to go back for him." Maggie stated.

"What about Abe and Rosita, they are…"

"So far gone we ain't gonna get them back. I'm sorry Glenn." Maggie said to her husband. "Maybe Tara is still out there somewhere and safe."

"No Tara didn't get out of Alexandria. I saw her go down trying to save her girlfriend Mel." Michonne put in, up until now she had stayed quiet.

"Let's get back to the farm and build up our defenses and then we can find a way to get him back, we need to have a clear plan and to have clear heads about this if we go all half-cocked we will end up dead." Maggie said standing up from the rock she had perched on.

"Let's go." I replied walking ahead and towards the back road I knew was in the area.

.

.

.

By nightfall we had made it back to the farm, the place where this whole thing started for a few of us. I had heard the stories and I knew that my mother found out she was expecting me here on this farm. Glenn had gone into the town and gotten her the test and the pills to end my life before it even began. He regretted doing that task for her and begged for my forgiveness. He didn't need it as I never blamed him for those actions, hell I never even blamed my mother. She had her reasons for doing what she did but in the end I was still born and she still died.

"I so can't believe this place is still here." Beth said coming to stand next to me, her eyes huge as she took in the sight of the house that still stood tall. "Why did we never come back this way?" She asked looking over to Daryl who wore a look of fondness.

"Never wanted to go back, didn't know if it still stood."

"The memories this place has." Beth whispered.

"Too bad the barn is gone." Glenn smirked. Maggie punched his arm playfully while smiling, soon though that smile faded and was replaced by tears.

"Ben would have loved to see this place. He always loved the stories of our lives here before the outbreak. I can't believe he is gone." She was close to a break down so Glenn placed his hand on her back and began to guild her towards the house. We all followed suit.

"So subject change, what room do Jack and I get?" I asked with a little bit of humor. I saw Beth open her mouth to speak when Enid beat her too it.

"Um I beg your pardon, you too need separate rooms."

"Well I am an adult."

"He is not." Beth chimed in.

"Oh please what really constitutes an adult now a days, besides isn't better to keep everyone in pairs at least?" I replied. They were at a loss for words, Jack looked at me with a grin that told me we totally won against his parents.

"Fine but I swear to god if the two of you…"

"No babies we promise." I replied sarcastically. The looks we got from everyone else in the dusty living room were priceless.

"Look at this place." Beth said changing the subject once again. "The phots are still on the wall." She walked over to once and grabbed it holding it close while tears ran down her face. To most of us in the room the pictures in here meant nothing but to Beth and Maggie and Glenn and Daryl they meant everything. Hershel and the other Greene family member's ones Glenn and Daryl had met and ones they had not. "I miss daddy." She said walking over to Maggie and hugging her close. I grabbed Jack's arm and dragged him upstairs to the master bedroom. The sisters needed privacy and their husbands. I watched as mom and Enid went to the kitchen so I knew it was a perfect time to sneak away and get some time alone with Jack.

I feel like we never get time to just be us now that we have them around. Not that I am complaining. I love them."

"I know what you mean." He said grabbing a hold of my face with both hands. His lips were dangerously close to mine as he walked me backwards and up against the now closed bedroom door. His eyes looked deeply into mine before his lips crashed down on mine. Moving together like we had been doing it for years felt completely right. My tongue snaked out to lick his bottom lip, and soon they parted allowing me access to his tongue. Our tongues were battling for dominance for a long while, eventually we parted to try and catch our breath.

"I think this door locks… Do you wanna?" I asked him.

"Only if you are sure."

"I have never been more sure of anything." I told him as he led me over to the bed.

 **There will be more Jack and Judy alone time coming up. If I decide to add a little something extra I will be sure to put the rating up to M but for now that's as much as you will see. Just know that other things are happening behind the scenes.**

 **Let me know what you think of this chapter. I normally won't have the flash back and main chapter be in different POV's but I was listening to Hold on and I just couldn't help but put that in there.**

 **I totally wish I was at comic con in San Diego this weekend but alas it is just not possible right now. So to make up for it how about a bunch of reviews I love to read those.**

 **I do not own the song Hold on by Tom Waits just in case anyone was wondering.**

 **Anyway look for a new update this weekend, hopefully I will get another one up tomorrow but I can't promise that as I do have to work all day.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Let's take it back to Jack's point of view. So my internet at home has been acting up so I can't update there which means I have to while I am at work. I should have another chapter up later this week. Also I am in the process of moving from one province to another however that shouldn't stop me from getting updates done it just might take a few more days then I have been.**

 **Thank you to everyone who is sticking with me on the journey. I love you all**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 **Jack's POV**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Running, the tress whipped past my face and body slicing open my skin as I passed. I had never had to run so fast before in all my life. My meager supplies were gone, left behind in the torn apart building I had crashed in for the last few days. Fear gripped at my heart and mind as the dead continued on their chase. I was their fresh meat if only they could get their decaying hands on me._

 _Moving my thoughts to a safer territory as I kept up the speed needed to ditch the unwelcomed biters I thought of the strange dream I had the night before of a girl with long brown hair and light colored eyes. I couldn't see her face clearly and I didn't know who she was or is. For my whole life it has just been my mom and dad and I, never any other people. We stayed away from areas where other groups might be for fear of them turning out bad like the group that separated my parents from their friends and family. This girl, her eyes are striking and her voice is like music. I'm not sure if she is real and if she is I have no idea if that's really what she sounds like but I hope she is. I hope to find her one day and I hope she lives a long happy life._

 _I veer off to my left as I see an opening in the trees, the sounds of walkers have faded and I am once again on my own. The train tracks we had followed years ago appear in front of me, knowing that they lead to people scares me more than the dead so I decide to head back into the trees. For a long while I don't feel anything, I don't let myself feel anything._

 _Stopping for the night I climb up into a tall oak tree and find purchase on a high branch. I settle in for the night as the stars are finally poking through the foliage above me. "So much for a calm night." I mutter to myself._

 _I awake to the sounds of footsteps, light and clearly trained directly below me. I peer down to see a woman alone walking along the forest. It's dark and I can't make out her features but I know something is not right about her being out here and alone. I decide to let her go not wanting to scare her._

 _Morning came quickly and I picked up the mystery girls trail with ease. I kept my distance when I realized I had gotten close to her. I wanted to make sure she was okay, my better judgment about people fully escaping me. I didn't want to freak her out to the point that she decided to shoot me or stab me which made me hang back._

 _I didn't hear her stop ahead as I kept on walking, next thing I know she is right in front of me, her long dark hair blowing slightly in the wind and her light colored eyes looked fierce. "Whoa there girl." I said holding my hands up in surrender. The girl in my dream appeared to me then and I realized I was looking at the live version._

 _ **End Flashback**_

The morning light shone through the window in the large master bedroom. Judith remained asleep with her head on my chest. Her soft breathing and light snores were soothing to me. I could hear a little bit of commotion down stairs but didn't want to leave this moment with this girl. The voices were growing louder as my parents walked up the stairs. "Babe I don't think they are awake yet, let them sleep we don't get many days like this." My mom said, and I could practically feel my dad's stare.

"Beth we can't let them stay in bed all day, besides he's only 16 I don'..."

"Daryl we don't get to chose that for him. He wants this, he wants her if we try to stop him they will leave."

"You don't know that."

"Oh yeah, we raised him to be strong and do what he wants, to be like you and she is Rick's daughter." My mom told him. His sigh was deep as his footfalls turned towards the stairs once again. He didn't say anything more and neither did she. I looked down into the face of an angel.

"Morning." She mumbled opening up her eyes. Those beautiful eyes that I could look into forever.

"Good morning." I smiled, running my hand up her bare arm. "Sleep okay?"

"The best." She replied. "I'm hungry, we should get dressed and go to the kitchen." She told me sitting up a little.

"I had a dream." I started as we were putting our clothes back on, they had been discarded on the floor in our haste to explore each other.

"Oh?"

"Three days before I met you. I dreamt of this girl with long brown hair and light eyes. I didn't think she was real. I thought for sure my mind was making her up as a way to keep me from going totally crazy. I had hoped she was real even though her face was blurry."

"Sounds like me." She said sweetly.

"I like to think it's you." I told her. She smiled that giant smile of hers the one that shows her teeth and stretches to meet her eyes. Her lips were impossibly red like she had that stuff my mom used to talk about when she tried to bore me to sleep. I leaned forward to kiss her, she immediately kissed back and we sat back on the bed and let ourselves get carried away once again.

A loud knock on the door broke us apart about an hour later. We were just laying in the bed with the sheets a mess around us. "Okay you two really need to get up now." Aunt Maggie said impatiently.

"Coming." We both said together which took us into a fit of laughter. We walked down the stairs once we were re dressed, our hands were laced together as we faced our family for the first time since we arrived on the farm last night.

"Good morning love birds." The girl Enid said from her spot at the kitchen table. Michonne and my parents were huddled around a map as Glenn and Maggie stood in the kitchen making something that smelt amazing.

A knock on the front door had all heads snapping up. Enid jumped up with her gun in her hand and marched over to the door. "Open up."

 **Dun dun dun. Who do you think is at the door?**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _I rounded the corner of the old grocery store slowly. The placed had long since been cleaned out of anything useful but it never hurt to check. The roof was leaking water all over the floor making a little flood that went up to the bottom shelves. I had my knife firmly in my hand in case any walkers appeared before me, the small pistol I had found was tucked nicely in the back of my pants. A loud bang on the front door startled me as I quickly hid behind an old long decrepit display for feminine hygiene products._

 _"Nah man I saw the girl go this way. I swear she's here somewhere." A loud male voice said with a thick Georgian accent. Fear gripped my heart as I realized I had been followed. The pistol sat cool against my skin reminding me it was there. I had counted three bullets when I first checked it to make sure it would work._

 _"Boys, lets fan out and find her, she can't have gotten far. I want her for myself tonight." The man who I assumed to be the leader spoke up. The authority in his voice sent shivers down my spine. If there is three I will shoot them all. If there is four I will do my best to fight him off as well. If there is more than that then a bullet will be my final meal. I won't let these men do unspeakable things to me. I would rather take my own life. The water on the floor made it so sneaking quietly was not an option, I hoisted my bag onto my back to keep it close, not wanting these men to get it unless I am dead._

 _I walked out into the open and took a quick look around, soon four men appeared in front of me with sneering creepy looks plastered on their old haggard faces. "Please just leave me alone." I begged in my most childish voice._

 _"Looky here boys we got us a beauty. She will look just fine in my bed." I cringed at his words, the fear rolled off me in waves. "Check her for more weapons." He said. I could see that none of them had guns out and ready to fire which was a good sign. It had been so many years that most guns didn't even work anymore. The first man stepped closer to me, I pulled the pistol out quick and flicked the safety off and shot straight to the man's head. Daddy and Carl had taught me damn good aim and now it was time to use what I knew. The other three men stood in shock before the collected themselves but by that time I had taken down the leader with a second head shot._

 _Two men left and only one bullet. "Don't tempt me." I said coldly._

 _"Hey girl we jus' looking for some fun, you look like ya could be fun."_

 _"I ain't fun." I said sending off my last shot to the other man, the bigger one who seemed to be the biggest threat to my life at this point in time._

 _"Ya gonna shoot me next girl." He said advancing on me. I knew I had no bullets left and by now he knew it too. I tossed the gun to the side, it slide against the water before finally dropping to the rotting floor below. The shots had attracted a few passing walkers, I could hear them ambling into the open door. I had my knife firmly in my hand again as the man got close to me. I lunged forward with my knife but he was quicker. His knife sliding into my shoulder with practiced ease. I couldn't give up not yet. Not after everything I have been through. I turned around my knife in my other hand and lunged again. He wasn't expecting me to keep going with my shoulder the way it was so I had the element of surprise. My knife went into his eye socket with a sickening squelch. His body slumped forward knocking me into the murky blood filled water, the pain in my shoulder was increasing as the seconds ticked by. I struggled to my feet and ran to the door passing the walkers who were falling over in the water as the toppled each other. The woods felt nice and familiar as I kept on running, blood dripping from my shoulder._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"Open up" The voice said again as we all stared straight at the door in shock. Enid was the first to run to it and haul it open. Maggie tried to warn her against it but it was too late by then.

"Carl?" She asked weary as my older brother stood on the other side staring in at us.

"You actually found this place." He said looking directly at me.

"Aunt Maggie and Beth." I said gesturing to them as they stood side by side just behind me. Daryl stood beside me in a protective manor with Jack shadowing him on my other side. "Why are you here?"

"I left after your gallant escape and I have been following you all."

"Why didn't you say anything?" His wife asked him in that voice I remember from before. It meant she was pissed and he was sleeping on the sofa.

"I had to play their game E. If I didn't they would have killed you and they would have killed me too." He explained. "I had to keep you safe."

"Those pills?"

"They put them in everyone's food once a day to block memories, it's some kind of creation they made a few years back. I would take it out and stuff it in the drain so you wouldn't forget. I realized what was happening a few months ago and stopped taking mine. That's when I realized what they were doing. My memories are still kinda screwy but I can remember the bigger things and people who were... I mean are important to me." He told us, Enid moved slightly to allow him to enter the foyer.

"Were you followed? Are they coming for us or did they send you out to re capture us?" I asked with a sneer.

"Judy, I snuck away late at night. I covered my tracks."

"Right because that always works so well." I knew I was being a bitch but they way he treated us and looked at me like he had no clue really pissed me off.

"Judith?"

"No don't Judith me, you could have been followed and our position could be compromised. Do you even know what happens when there are women around and men find your location. They do bad things, or they try to do bad things and then you either get forced to kill living humans or you kill yourself or they do what they want and your entire soul is gone so no, you don't know if you covered your tracks which means we have to move again we can't stay here and be peaceful for even a little while because those people would follow you. You were their prisoner Carl which means they will search for you." I said practically screaming and no one motioned to stop me, they just listened. Jack moved closer to me and held my hand in silent reassurance. Last night he had seen the scar that marks my shoulder where that man's knife had pierced my skin. He knew I had gone through things when I was left alone in this world, he knew not to ask questions.

"I'm sorry Judith. I swear I wasn't followed. I made sure of it. I don't want to put any of you in danger. If you want I will go back and tell them that you escaped and I tried to find you and bring you back. I will leave and you won't..."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP." I screeched at him and all eyes turned on me.

"Judy?" Glenn said from the other side of the room.

"What I can't snap and be angry. I can't lose my shit." I replied and stalked off up the stairs to the room Jack and I are sharing. I slammed the door behind me and sat down on the edge of the bed, my anger was slowly dissipating. A soft knock on the door made my head snap up, my mom stuck her long dreadlock covered head into the room and gave me a small smile.

"Sweetheart?"

"What?" I asked softer this time.

"Do you wanna talk about whatever happened?" She asked coming to sit next to me on the bed.

"I can't. If I talk about it then it's real and not just a figment of my imagination. It hurts to much." Her strong yet soft arms wrapped around my shoulder letting me sink into her warm embrace like I used to as a child. "They tried to hurt me so I killed them. I was all alone and I had to kill them or they... they would have... they would have done horrible things to me." The tears fell from my eyes as my mom held me close.

"You are safe now my dear. you have many people around you who love you and will protect you no matter what."

"I know." I sniffled holding myself closer to her. "I know."

 **Well I hope this update is good enough to tide you over for a few days. I am gonna try and post a little more quickly. This last week has been really interesting. I got a new job in a new town and so I am finally leaving the nest after 24 years of living at home. Its scary and exciting and I have no idea how leaving my mom is going to go as she is my best friend and my walking dead buddy lol. I will be getting internet in my new place once I get there so no delays should be happening.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this feisty little Judith Chapter.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 **Jack's POV**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Mama will you tell me a story?" I asked my mom as she finished putting away some of the dishes we had used for lunch. "The one about family." I elaborated. My voice small and soft with my young age._

 _She turned around and scooped me up, placing me on her knees as she sat in a comfy chair. "Well our family is really very large. Aside from you papa and I there was your grandpa Hershel, he was so kind and gentle with everyone. He made everyone he encountered want to be better no matter how dire the situation was. Aunt Maggie now she was a riot. Always the centre of attention, you would love her. If the world had been different she would have spoiled you rotten."_

 _"What did she look like?" I questioned._

 _"She was taller than me, with short dark brown hair and big green eyes, her laugh was so infection that it would make everyone around her laugh as well. She had this zest for life that I had never seen before." she went on. I sat intently listening to my mom talk about her sister and how great she was. The tales of their time living on some family farm with all kinds of animals and people. She told me of the time she threw some medicine into the pond and they ended up soaking wet and laughing._

" _Tell me about the time you first met Pa?" I asked next._

" _Well I was 16 years old and it was only a few months into the end of the world as we knew it. I was missing my cell phone and my computer like there was no tomorrow, I had just lost my big brother Shawn and my mom so I was a little crazy. I kept to myself a lot back then. He showed up on his motorcycle with all these other new people. I was terrified of this tall gruff older man who didn't talk much at all. It took months before we even spoke any words to each other."_

" _Really?"_

" _Yup it wasn't until after we left the farm and found the prison and Lori had given birth to Judith that he said anything to me. I was too scared to say anything first." She explained._

 _"That's silly mama." I replied._

 _"Well your mama was very intimidating herself you know." Papa chimed in standing in the doorway leaning against the frame. He was wiping his hands clean on a red handkerchief._

 _"No way." I giggled._

 _"Yes way. She was always so bright and cheerful it freaked me out. Like she always knew what everyone was thinkin' so I avoided her a lot."_

 _"That's not nice papa." I told him. He chuckled a little as he came to sit next to us on the other chair. "Why did you start talking then?"_

 _"Well it really started when we were alone for the first time. She yelled at me."_

 _"Mama you said yelling is never the answer." I scolded._

 _"Yes well sometimes grownups need to yell to get their point across but kids don't need to yell." She explained. I giggled a little as she hoisted me up and carried me up the stairs and into my room. "Good night my sweet boy." She said kissing my cheeks and forehead._

 _"Goodnight Jack." Papa said quietly from beside my bed._

 _"Night mama night papa." I soon fell into a sleep filled with dreams of family and gardens and farms._

 _ **End Flashback**_

Judith ran upstairs super upset about something that happened in the past. Carl was stood near the sofa looking up at the stairs. I wanted to hit him. I wanted him to feel pain for making her hurt. Without even thinking I stalked forward and threw a punch. He fell backwards shock evident on his face. "JACK." My mother screeched from somewhere behind me. I didn't stop though as I got closer to him and threw another punch to Carl's Jaw. The next thing I knew strong arms were pulling me back and pinning my arms to my sides.

"Dad stop, let me go."

"NO." He said sharply. The fight drained from my body then as I went limp. My father released his death grip on me, I turned to face him and undoubtedly the hell I was no facing. "Speak." He said softer this time.

"He hurt her, he can't get away with that." I told my father. He just looked at me with a blank expression, the same look I received many times over my life when I was misbehaving. "She is upstairs crying because of him."

"Son, sometimes having a sibling means saying or doing hurtful things. Yes what Carl did was reckless and a little stupid and yes she is pissed off because of something that happened in the past and how this is similar to it but you don't go around hitting people."

"Fine." I huffed and walked out the front door. I walked off towards the woods at the back of the property, the woods always made me feel better, like I could breathe easier and I suppose it's because of the lessons my father instilled in me. The wind rustled the trees above me and the birds were chirping their happy songs. I know my mom is gonna be pissed at me for leaving on my own again but I could careless.

"Yo Jack stop a sec." I heard behind me. I turned to see Glenn running towards me. I stayed rooted where I was knowing if I just bolted from him he would tell my mom and I would be a dead man.

"Yeah?"

"I won't tell ya to stay inside and all that. You got enough people telling you things. But if ya want I am here to listen."

"You don't really even know me." I replied.

"You're family."

"Why because you married my aunt who I didn't know until a few weeks ago?"

"Because like it or not in this world everyone in your group is family." He said to me.

"My family is my parents and Judith."

"You have spent your entire life with two people, having family isn't a bad thing Jack."

"Its crowded."

"Yeah it is and your dad was pretty standoffish when the world ended and he was stuck with us for the long haul. You get used to having people around. People who will love you and be there for you no matter what. But at the same time those people are going to piss you off and get in your way. You just gotta accept the fact that even though they will make you crazy and get mad they won't leave you either." Glenn explained.

"But they do leave. Ben he left."

"That's the nature of this world we are living in. We lose many people but they don't leave on their own accord."

"I never had to deal with losing someone I care about until Ben."

"And you will have to deal with losing more people as life goes on but the one thing your mom taught me is that hurt is part of the package. It doesn't go away you just make room for it."

"Is he a threat to Judith?" I questioned my know-it-all uncle.

"Carl is her brother and he loves her more than anything. He will do everything in his power to keep her safe. You see Carl was there with Maggie when Judith was born, he knew he had to protect her so he ended up being the one who shot his own mother to keep her from turning and attacking. He may have made a few mistakes one being following us to the farm but he is not a bad guy. He is a part of her life." Glenn explained. These were things I didn't know and thing's she probably didn't even know herself.

"I know it is selfish but sometimes I wish it was still just me and Judy."

"You can go off on your own all you want but just know that you have other people who care for you and will miss you. Your parents for one. I don't know this version of them the ones who are together and speak but I remember the old them and I know Beth will not..."

"Let me go that easy. She loves me and doesn't wanna lose me."

"And your father he never got to keep good things in his life before the end of the world, he would keep quiet about it but he would be crushed if you and Judith took off on your own."

"We won't take off but maybe you could talk to the other adults for us..."

"And say what?" Glenn probed.

"Not to worry so much, to let us kinda do our thing while still being a part of the group." I asked with what I hoped was a hopeful look on my face.

"I'll talk to em." He said. "Now why don't we head back to the house and check on Judith."

"Yeah good idea." I replied as I followed him back in the direction of the farm house.

.

.

.

"You were gone when I came back downstairs. Is everything okay?" Judith asked me as I came in through the kitchen door.

"Yeah I just needed to cool down a bit."

"I hear you punched my brother." She stated looking me dead in the eyes.

"I'm..."

"Do not apologize I wanted to do the same thing." She confessed. "Thank you for defending me like that, you don't need to but I am happy you did."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay now, I just had to work through some memories I would rather not deal with ever." She explained.

"If ya ever wanna talk I'm here."

"Thank you." She said leaning into me. I wrapped my arms tightly around her shoulders, my nose landing softly in her hair. "I don't know what I did to deserve you." She mumbled into my chest. I chuckled lightly before placing a kiss to her hair.

 **Okay, well let me know what you think. I am so sorry this took so long to get up. The next one will hopefully not take as long. Things are gonna get a little more heated next chapter in terms of the group they ran from. Review review review. I love them and they make me write faster!**


	18. Chapter 18

**This chapter is going to skip ahead a few months as the story needs to move a bit to keep it from getting a little stale. Some big things are happening soon! Who loves Drama!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Daddy will you tell me about mommy?" I asked my father as he sat on my bed next to me and ran his hand through my dark hair._

 _"Of course Judy, I will tell you all about her." He started. "Her name was Lori and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her hair was long and dark, she always wore it down her back in loose waves. She had these big expressive eyes that told a million stories when she looked at you. We met near the end of high school, I thought I was gonna pass out the first time I saw her."_

 _"That's silly daddy." I giggled._

 _"Well it may be silly but she sure knocked me off my feet. She had transferred from some other school and I was shocked to see how fast she made friends. She was always the life of the party and so it took your old man here a long time before I got the nerve to ask her out. When I did she turned me down and I thought my life was gonna end. But I tried again three more times before she actually said yes. I found out later that she only said yes so I would leave her alone and stop asking. But after that first date she decided she actually liked me and so we started dating officially. We were inseparable after that."_

 _"What does that mean dad?" I questioned not understanding the big word he used._

 _"It means mom and dad spent all their time together and neglected their friends and family." Carl said entering the room and standing at the foot of the bed._

 _"He's right we were kinda awful, eventually we got better at being friends with other people. We graduated high school and I became a cop while she had Carl and stayed home with him."_

 _"She didn't have a job to do?"_

 _"Well back before the world changed her job was to cook and clean and care for Carl. After she helped out with more stuff."_

 _"Would she have taken care of me too?" I asked with my voice low._

 _"She would have loved to have been here to care for you like she did with Carl." Daddy answered._

 _"Although she was kinda suffocating in the end." Carl added._

 _"Carl." daddy said using his warning voice._

 _"Sorry. She was great Jude, youd'a liked her."_

 _"I wish I knew her." I said as sleep started to pull me under. Daddy and Carl slowly left the room as I fell into a dream filled sleep._

 _ **End Flashback**_

A few months passed by with no threat coming for us. The warmth in the air started to cool and the walkers in the area seemed to just skip past us. We had gained a new understanding as a group, and as a family. Jack and I stayed in our room a lot of the time or we snuck out to hunt and gather in the woods. Beth and Daryl spent most of their time out camping and hunting on their own as they seemed to like the privacy. Our system consisted of shift work to keep the house clean and heated as well as food on the table. Glenn and Maggie took awhile but eventually they recovered from the loss of their son Ben. As Beth kept saying 'the pain doesn't go away you just make room for it'. Her mantra was on repeat for everyone.

The farm had been home to some of this group long ago and now it was home for even more of us. A little fire flickered in the pit in the front yard as we all sat around talking quietly. Jack had his arms wrapped around me in our chair as we looked on at our family. "Ya know I was never a country girl. Grew up in the city and I never wanted to leave it." Mom said from her spot across from us.

"What city did you live in Michonne?" Beth questioned from next to Daryl.

"I lived in Memphis and Atlanta." She replied. "Grew up in Tennessee, travelled to Nashville a lot."

"Oh man, I always wanted to go there." Beth chimed. Her voice high and musical while still keeping quiet. "I wanted to be a country singer, thought goin' to Nashville would make my dreams come true. I had plans for after high school."

"Shawn was going to take you there." Maggie piped up. "He said he wanted his baby sisters dreams to come true even if it meant pissing daddy off."

"He was the best brother." Beth said deep in memory of a man I had never even heard of before.

"Aunt Maggie why have you never talk about him before?"

"He died a long time ago Judith, he... It's hard to talk about him and that time."

"Oh."

"So I had an uncle?" Jack said changing it from the somber tune.

"Yes, and grandparents and so many other people I wish you had been able to meet." Beth told her son.

"What about your family dad?"

"Good thang ya never got ta meet em." He replied. "Bad bunch."

"Oh come on dad mom told me about uncle Merle once. Said he wasn't all that bad." Daryl looked over to Beth who just shrugged her shoulders and looked at her hands. A fire red blush creeping up onto her face.

"I actually got along with him just fine Daryl, all he ever did was talk to me nicely."

"Really?"

"Yeah he told me I was doin' a good job a lookin' after the baby and that he wanted me to keep my eye on you. Said you might do somethin' stupid."

"The baby?" Jack questioned.

"Judith." Daryl answered for his son.

"Yeah, he wanted to hold her but his one arm was a knife so I told him very politely to fuck off." The group burst out laughing at her use of a curse word. "Really you all still think it's funny when I swear. You people are children." She chided, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away into the distant night. I kept watching her, thinking about the mother I would have had in her had we not been separated. But that thought soon made me realize if we had not been torn apart then her and Daryl may have never gotten together and then Jack would not be here wrapped around me today. I shook the thought from my mind as I realized Beth had gone completely still. Her eyes not wavering from something in the distance.

"Beth?" I asked in a whisper.

"Beth what is it?" Daryl was up and out of his seat with his crossbow held high in a flash.

"Not walkers. Run. Everyone get to the house and get ready. The fight is here and tell Carl and Enid to get dressed. The group of us took off in the direction of the house. Jack and I had our weapons on us and ready to go as we veered off path towards an old work shed we had turned into a shelter of sorts. I grabbed the walkie from the shelf and paged those in the house.

"We are ready."

"If it looks to be a battle get out and go to the meeting point."

"Got it dad." Jack said into the speaker. We hunkered down preparing for the worst.

 **Well let me know what you think. I do love to get reviews in my inbox!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Can any of you describe what it is that we do in a situation where someone enters the community without permission with the intent to harm our people?" Miss Cassies questioned the class._

 _"I can."_

 _"Go ahead Ben." She replied to his can do attitude about the subject._

 _"Find a grown up and then follow the rules in each buidling. This buiding has an underground passage way so you can escape the walls but we mustnt go without a grown up." He explained._

 _"Very good. and which grown ups are you allowed to go with?" She then asked the group._

 _"Well Judy andI can go with anyone from our group speciffically or Mr. Aaron and Mr. Eric."_

 _"Yeah daddy says we have to go with either them or the group... Oh and Enid since she is my sister now." I added in._

 _"Perfect. For todays activity I would like each student to draw a picture of one person they would excape with."_

 _The class got to work on the drawings, the minds turning as we all thought over who we would go with._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"Come out come out where ever you are." A big burly man sang as he walked closer and closer to the farm house. This house that we had all made a home once again. Beth and Maggie would be crushed if we had to run from it once again. "I know you are in there Carl."

"Yeah and that little cutie of a wife of yours." Another man joined in. I shuddered as I thought over what these men would do to Enid if they caught her once again. The creak of the old farm house door had my head snapping in that direction. I could see my brother step forward through the door, his hands held high in surrender.

"Take me, just leave them all be."

"Oh come on kid you know that aint how this works. We take what we want and we don't give a shit what anyone says or thinks. So no we aint gonna leave any of them behind.

I prepared myself to leave the bunker and shoot them all dead. But then I scanned the area and noticed way more men then I ever thought was possible to be in one group. There wasn't even this many people in the hole of Alexandria. "No." Jack mouthed to me, his gun was still raised in one hand as his other rested on the walkie talkie. "Dad?"

"We fight we all die. You and Judith, I want you to sneak out and run, get as far away as you can. Nobody is watching the shed. Kill your lights and go. Find the Juniper house and mom and I will meet you there."

I had never heard Daryl Dixon using so many words in a sentance before but his words wrung in my head for a while. We had to get out and run, before they found us. Before these awful people who had taken Rosita and Abraham and turned them into these horrible beings, and killed us. We set about to leave through a back hatch when I heard Enid speak from the porch, I chanced a look back at her as a single shot rang through the air and peirced her through the heart. And in that instant she was on the ground and Carl had dropped to his knees cradling her head in his lap as she breathed her final breath. Soon more shots were ringing loud in my ears and something was pulling on my arm, forcing me through the hatch and away from my dying family.

.

.

.

The trees rushed past me as I ran next to the boy I loved, with now knowledge of whether the rest of our family was still alive and following. Soon the light gave way and a new day hard started. We had survived to see another day, and yet all I could feel was dread and sorrow. Tears rushed down my face cauding me to trip and fall oer depris coving the forest floor. "Jude?"

"I... I can't... Enid... Carl..." I sobbed. "Oh god..." Hiccups filtered through my sobs as I collapsed to the ground in a heap.

"We don't know how many of them are gone. We have to get to the place my dad mentioned and wait there."

"No."

"What?" He questioned me confused.

"No, we don't go there. We gone off on our own somewhere just the two of us. If we go back to them and find others then we run the risk of losing them again and I can't handle that. I can't handle knowing who all is gone now."

"Judith they are family and you want to just give up?"

"I am tired of losing everyone I love Jack." I cried. "My dad, my brother, Carol, Tyresse albeit I don't really remember him I just know that I was close to him as a baby, everyone from Alexandria, Ben... Enid..."

"My mom once told me that when you love someone hurt is part of the package. It doesn't go away you just make room for it."

"I can't even begin to explain how many times I have lost Beth."

"Judith..."

"Fine lead the way."

 **Well let me know what you think. I know it is super duper short. I just moved into my grandma's place and started a new job in a new city so things have been really crazy and I finally found a few moments to write this up. I am going to be ending it soon. Only a handful of chapters left. At this point I am not sure if I wanna give it a happy ending or a sad tragic ending. Let me know what you wanna see happen!**

 **REVIEW!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _His eyes were an odd pale color and his skin was decaying. Blood was splattered everywhere and I knew this was no longer my brother. All the life was gone from his features and an empty shell was left in its place. He would never grow old and have kids with Enid, hell he would never see her again at all. Carl Grimes was gone now, just like our father and our mother and so many other humans from this world. The knife in my hand was heavy against my palm as thoughts of what needed to be done flooded my mind._

 _As the knife plummeted into the skull of my older brother my eyes snapped open as I awoke from the horrid dream._

" _Shit." I said loudly into the darkness. I was alone again. I stood up from the bare mattress on the floor of the abandoned apartment and got to fixing myself some breakfast._

 _I let the tears fall from my eyes as I replayed the dream over and over again. Losing Carl was the worst thing to ever happen to me. He had always been there no matter what and now he was out there somewhere possibly dead and nothing I could do would change that._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"Judith."

"Yeah Jack?"

"I want you to know that no matter what happens in the future…"

"I know Jack, you don't have to say it." I told him as we walked up the porch steps of an old house. The same house we had found Daryl and Beth at before. I guess it makes for a good meeting place. It hadn't taken too long to get here from the farm, not with us moving constantly and never stopping.

He didn't say anything after that. The silence was comfortable as we made ourselves at home in an upstairs bedroom of the house. The windows were already bordered up and the doors locked easily. Soon we fell asleep as the night wore on, no news was good news as our families fate hung in the air.

.

.

.

Three days passed and still no one came to the house. Jack and I were growing antsy as we anticipated the worst. After days of barely speaking I couldn't take it anymore. "Jack we need to leave here. We can't stay and wait forever."

"I know. Just…"

"They would be here by now if they survived." I reminded him as I set about packing up the few things we had with us.

"My dad is the strongest person I know Jude, there is no way he is dead."

"Maybe he's out there somewhere but either way we can't stay here. Its far to dangerous." I told him. My strength was wavering as a loud knock on the door startled us both. I grabbed my weapons and held them ready to kill at a moments notice. Jack stood ready as well beside the door. He peaked out through wooden planks a small smile of relief washed over his features. He swung open the door and embraced his tiny blond mother. She had tears in her eyes and was dragging a heavy bag.

"Mom?"

"Judith I am so sorry…" I slumped to the floor as the weight of her words hit me like a ton of bricks. "Carl refused to leave her side and fight. We made sure to put them both down before we left the farm."

I let the tears flow as Jack rushed over to hold me tightly in his arms. My family, my entire bloodline aside from me is gone. Wiped out completely. "What about Maggie and Glenn."

"I don't know what happened to them. It's just me now."

"And dad?" Jack questioned looking out behind his mother to try and spot his father.

"He was shot and then I don't know. I couldn't look and search. I didn't want to."

"Mom…" Jack left my side to hold his mother who now had tears free falling from her eyes. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help fight."

"No don't be. I'm glad you two got out of there." She sighed sitting down on the large worn out sofa. Her head fell as she continued to sob for her husband and the rest of our family that was now dead or missing.

After a few moments of silence Beth spoke again. "I was sixteen when this whole thing began and I was so scared of dying. Daddy always told me I was strong but I could never believe him. Daryl and the rest of the group arrived on our farm and I thought things would get better but they didn't. They have only gotten worse. A few moments of happy times is not enough. It's just us now and I promise I will try and be strong for you both." She vowed to us. Jack and I had taken up our positions next to her on the sofa. It was just us now.

.

.

.

"Alright you too up and at it. Time to get a move on." Beth said in her weird cheery voice as she looked down at Jack and I tangled together on the sofa that she had at some point vacated.

"Where are we going?" Jack questioned his bright and cherry mother.

"To find a new place." And with that she had fled from the room and left us to get ready for our next journey.

We decided to head south to Florida, perhaps find a beach house or some isolated Miami Mansion with a giant fence around the yard. The trip took forever since we had to walk as finding working vehicles nowadays was the most difficult thing to do.

"I remember the first time Carol made a loaf of bread. It was the most amazing thing I had ever tried at the time."

"I always thought she would be a good baker back before we got separated." Beth told me.

"She was, she loved making cookies and all kinds of different things. She once told me her favourite thing about Alexandria was the oven." I explained. Memories of the people I grew up with always seemed to flood my mind when I least expected them.

"What happened to mom?" I asked Beth. Thinking of Carol and the home we all had reminded me of Michonne the only woman I remembered being my mother.

"She got away but she didn't know about the house in Juniper so she could be anywhere."

"Maybe she went south as well?" Jack suggested.

"Maybe."

"Everything will work out we just gotta have a little faith." Beth said as she grabbed a hold of my hand.

 **Well chapter twenty people. Oh no so many people are gone and some we have no idea about.**

 **Is the great and powerful Dixon dead or is he hiding some place trying to heal?**

 **Leave me a review and let me know what you think is going on in this crazy Walker filled world!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay so this chapter has taken a ot longer to write than I had hoped. The only excuse I can come up with is the extreme stress I have been under with having moved a province away from my parents and sister for the first time and it is way harder than I ever thought. Also this job I moved for is sooooo not what I had hoped it would be.**

 **Anyway since my birthday was on Tuesday I wouldn't mind a few reviews to tell me what you think of this story so far and what you think might be coming up soon. !**

 **Happy September folks!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own anything Walking Dead related. I just like to play with the characters and see where things go.**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes also known as the lil' Ass Kicker is 18 and all grown up. She is on her own in the world of walkers and bad people having gotten separated from her older brother Carl a few years prior. With her family gone can she make it in this world. Will a chance meeting with a surely 16 year old change everything. Follow Judy as she makes her mark on the world gone to hell.**

 **Beth's POV**

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Everything will work out. You just got to have a little faith." I said into the bright room filled with my husband and son._

" _Really mom the faith talk?"_

" _Well when you start to listen to your dear mother I will stop with all the insightful speeches you hate so much." I replied sarcastically._

" _Listen to your mother." Daryl said from his seat at the small table where he was busy cleaning out the guts of a rabbit he had caught earlier that morning. I smiled over at him earning myself his classic side smirk._

" _dad will you ever take my side on things?" Jack questioned Daryl who looked like he was ready to bolt from the room and this conversation._

" _Son I hope one day you will learn that it is best to let the woman in your life be right. Happy wife happy life." He concluded._

" _Yeah well maybe if there were more people in this world and I wasn't growing up with just the two of you to talk to I would know better." Jack said sternly before he stalked off up the stairs of the old funeral home we had made into our family home._

" _He's right Daryl. We can't keep living just the three of us. He needs interaction with others. Eventually we need to find other people."_

" _We don't even know if any of them are still alive Beth. It's been 15 years."_

" _But they could be." I said. "Maggie and Glenn could be." I went on, he continued to just stare at me. "Rick and…"_

" _Beth leave her out of this okay. It does you no good to keep thinking about her."_

" _But Daryl she was everything to me back at the prison. I wish I knew if she was still alive even."_

" _Perhaps one day we will find someone who knows what happened to the others." He said. "Now that Jack is older I guess we can start looking again."_

" _Thank you Daryl."_

 _ **End flashback**_

It took longer to get to Florida than expected. A storm blew in and lasted for over a week. We were stuck holed up in a farm house close to the border between Georgia and Florida. Finally we made it to a small town area on the coast. We came across a large beach house surrounded by a cement fence. The waves crashed upon the shore in a peaceful calming manor. I stood in front of the gate watching the water, my thoughts wandering to the farm house and the events from a few weeks ago. Daryl surrounded by all those walkers, not knowing if he is alive and looking for us.

We cleared the house fair quickly before I allowed myself to think about the past. "Mama? You gonna come inside?" Jack questioned as he came to stand beside me. I looked away from the waves still crashing beautifully against the rocks and sand and looked over to see him now staring out at the peaceful scene.

"Yes in a few minutes. I'm just thinking." I told him.

"About dad?" He asked quietly turning to face me now.

"Yeah. I miss him."

"Me too mama. Me too."

I followed him inside the large home to find Judith cooking something in the open fire place in the grand living room. The whole place screamed the OC to me. I chuckled a little as I thought back on the one TV show Maggie and I were both obsessed with before the turn.

"What's so funny?" Judy questioned me with a small smile.

"I was just thinking of this show on TV that Maggie and I used to love before the turn. It was called the OC and it was about these California teens who grew up with tons of money and privilege. It was pretty funny most of the time. Until they killed off my favourite character." I told them. I had explained to Jack what TV was a long time ago but sadly it is something from the world he will never know and I don't know what that town Judith lived in had but I doubt TV was on anyone's mind. "Anyway it's ancient history now."

"Well it sounds delightful Beth." Judith commented. She pulled the dinner she was making from the fire and dealt out helpings for each of us.

"Thank you sweetie."

"No problem. How was the water out there."

"The beach is amazing. I am glad you both talked me into coming here instead of staying around back woods Georgia."

"Mama, dad knows the plan if things were to go south. Which they did. Ya gotta have faith that he will find his way here." Jack told me seriously between bites of food.

"If he is even still alive." I replied bitterly.

"Everything will work out. You just got to have a little faith."

"So you were listening to me all those times I gave you insightful advice." I smirked.

"Well yeah mama I always listened to what you say." He told me sweetly.

"We can't be the only survivors. Someone else will find us. You are right they all knew the plan. Plus we left a few clues along the way that only those that know to look for them will see and follow."

.

.

.

The months began to speed by and so enough winter had set in and then spring was back. Walkers remained scarce in the area and the cement wall was still holding strong. I never realized how strong of a connection Jack and Judith had made until it was just the three of us alone in this giant strong hold of a beach house. The pride I felt towards my son and the amazing way he treated the young girl I had cared for when she was so small warmed my heart. I only wished my husband could be here to see it for himself.

"JACCK." Judith screeched in laughter as he chased her down the beach. Our eyes always on the lookout for danger but no longer plagued by the fear of death at every turn. We had decided long ago that we needed to embrace the small moments that made for a happy life.

"Gottcha." He said as he caught up to her, his arms snaking around her waist. The sun was setting on the horizon as she turned herself around and stood on her tip toes to kiss him. I turned my head away then as I didn't want to intrude on their moment any more than I already have. I watched the length of the beach, a lone figure was walking at a brisk pace towards us. My alerts went on high as I rushed to my son and Judith and rushed them into the house and down to the cellar we made into our armoury. "We wait to see who it is. They pose a threat we take em out." Jack said as we marched back towards the main room that held the door to the outside.

A loud banging on the door began as we readied our weapons. "Go the hell away or we will blow you away." I yelled through the still closed door. I could see jack inching towards the boarded up windows and peeking through a crack hoping to get a glimpse of the person outside.

"BETH!" A very familiar voice yelled back. My weapon lowered and I stumbled back as Judith made to open the door quickly. I stared into a pair of eyes I never thought I would see again…

 **Alrighty then everyone please drop a review and tell me who it is that is standing in the doorway.**


	22. Chapter 22

**So this chapter is going to take on a different role than the others as it will be from the others because it starts out in Daryl's POV before it switches into Judith's as the story comes to a close.**

 **This will be the last official chapter of the story. There will be an Epilogue coming soon as well to give a little more closure into the future. Please show me some review love as we leave our favourite characters be once again.**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own the walking dead or anything related to it. Aside from glassware with their faces on it. My Glenn cup is the best :)**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes is separated from her older Brother Carl three years after the fall of Alexandria. Now with her new found friend Jack she must fight to survive and find her family again.**

 **Daryl's POV**

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Swarms of the undead were chasing after me trying to get a bite of my flesh. I had to leave to give Beth her best chance. So I ran, crossbow held high and smashing into skulls that got to close. The woods have always been my home and so running through them at mach speed was no problem for me. Soon I lost the geeks and was able to slow to a walk. I circled back to the farm looking for my family hoping they didn't go to far from here. I knew Jack and Judy got away and they would be find but I couldn't bear to leave Beth on her own. I reached the front porch where everything started to go downhill, Enid and Carl lay tangled together both gone from this world. A bullet had pierced through both of their brains to keep them from turning. I thought to myself how it had to have been Beth who had taken that job upon herself. I looked through the bodies hoping I wouldn't see anyone else from my family._

 _I walked slowly around the back of the house. I stopped dead in my tracks as the faces of Maggie and Glenn laying in the dirt assaulted my sight. I fought the urge to throw up as I knelt down to their level and prayed for the first time in forever. Beth was religious and so she would want a prayer for her sister. I took out the remaining walkers keeping my eyes out for my wife. After the walkers were taken care of I burnt all the bodies of those I didn't know and buried the rest next to and the others we had lost here at this very farm so many years ago. Dale, Sophia, Annette, Shawn, Otis. Some many others that we couldn't bury._

 _I left the farm three days later. My pack full of the items that had been left behind. I set off to the Juniper house first. I had told the kids to go there and wait. My hopes were dashed when I reached the house now overrun with walkers and the kids nowhere in sight. I had no idea where they would have gone from here. My mind went into overdrive as I realized how truly alone in the world I was for the first time in a very long time._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _I decided to go south into Florida. I had never left Georgia before and as I stood straddling the border I couldn't help my mind from wandering to Beth and that damn drinking game all those years ago. I didn't want to play that stupid game with her but I always did have problems saying no to her. I pushed the thoughts of my possibly dead wife to the back of my mind as I took the final step into Florida. I searched the coastal towns and cities, sticking to either the beach or any forest I could find. The air was so moist here in Florida it felt like I was going to drown just by breathing. Walking along the beach my shirt sleeves long gone I could hear laughing in the distance. It was faint but most definitely happy. I followed the sound as it echoed with the waves crashing on the shore. Three figures appeared, two were laughing and having a great time, something so contrast to my feelings and the world around us. The third figure stood by watching I presume. Soon though they were all rushing into a large cement wall enclosed beach house. I followed quickly not knowing who I was running too. I banged on the door three times hoping to get their attention. "GO THE HELL AWAY OR I WILL BLOW YOU AWAY." a familiar dazzling_

 _"BETH." I called before the door swung open._

 _ **End Flashback**_

Long warm arms engulfed me as I stood in the open doorway staring at my family. The people I had grown to love and care for more than anything, the very people I thought I had lost forever stood all around me. Beth pulled me in through the door way as it shut behind me. "I knew you would find us." Her lips were on mine in a flash. A loud cough brought our attention back to the present. We looked over to see Judith and Jack with smiles plastered on their tanned skin.

"Hey dad." Jack said coming over to hug me quickly. He grew up learning affection like this from his mother.

"I'm glad you two listened and took off."

"Carl?"

"I went back to the farm. I found all of our people that didn't make it and buried them."

"Daryl who all did you bury?" Beth asked me. I knew once I found them again I would have to tell them of the horrors I found.

"Enid and Carl." I started. "Glenn and Maggie. I found em out around the back of the farm house." Tears slid down Beth's face as she chocked on a sob. Her legs gave way beneath her, I moved fluidly to catch her before she hit the ground with a thud.

"No." Judith whispered into the air. I had momentarily forgotten how close she would have been to them growing up. "Jack." She cried throwing her face into his shoulder. He held her while she sobbed for the loss of her brother and step sister as well as for the loss of her aunt and uncle(not by blood of course).

"I'm sorry Judith." I said to the girl.

"Thank you for finding out. You didn't see mom too did you?"

"Michonne nah. It'll take a lot more than all that to kill her. I bet she's out there some place looking for ya."

"I hope so."

"How long ya been holed up here?" I questioned turning back to my wife. A few grey streaks now lined her pretty head of blonde.

"Since before winter. We got here a few weeks after the farm was lost again." She told me. "This place is pretty safe so far. I think we can stay longer."

"We can stay as long as the world lets us. We are home."

 **Judith's POV**

"Happy 20th birthday Judy." Beth sang as we sat at the pretty dining room table in the old beach house we had found in Florida over a year ago. We had been here for a while when Daryl showed up with the news our family was dead. But the good thoughts on the matter is now Maggie and Glenn are with Ben again. Carl and Enid are together with my parents and I still have Jack.

"Thank you. But how did you know?"

"Well I saw that calendar in the study and did the math on what it would be. I remembered knowing what day it was when you were born. None of us could ever forget that day."

"Really? Being born isn't that big a deal."

"The world was over and you were the first baby that any of us had seen since."

"Not to mention it was very dramatic." Daryl piped in.

"You know, no one has ever told me that story?" I prodded.

"We were in the prison and walkers were over powering us again, your mom and Carl were with Maggie when your mom went into labor. She had to be cut open to save your life and in the process it killed her. Carl ended up having to put her down so she didn't turn and then your pa freaked out and went crazy for a while." Daryl said matter of fact.

"Wow that's… um."

"Daryl why would you just say it like that?" Beth scolded. Jack sat next to me silently laughing at his parents.

"Well she's old enough to know the truth Beth."

"Yes but at least you could sugar coat it."

"I ain't ever sugar coated anything I ain't startin now."

"You are such a pain sometimes you know that." She said placing her hand on his chest.

"Well ya I know." He leaned in to kiss her gently. Jack and I cleared our throats to grab their attention making them jump back a few feet away from each other.

"Okay well thanks for the story. Jack and I are gonna go check the walls, make sure everything is good."

"Alright well we will be upstairs taking a nap." Beth chimed.

"Gross mom." Jack replied as we briskly walked to the door.

.

.

.

Everything outside was quiet, no walkers lingered on the beach or on the street. All the cars had been removed from the road and we did our best to keep the local area as clean as we could. This is our home after all. We walked around hand in hand with our knives securely on our belts. After a while in the silence a loud cry pierced the air, our hands automatically grabbing our knives and raising them for the attack. "Look." I pointed down the street to a couple carrying a small bundle.

"We have been walking for days Henry I don't think I can keep going. We have no food and no water. We haven't seen a biter in miles. Please."

"Jack we have to help them, they have a baby."

"Alright." He stepped forward his knife rasied, I followed suit. "Hands in the air."

The couple did as he asked. "Oh my god another person, please, please help us."

"Is that a baby ma'am?" I asked her nicely.

"Yes, his name is Alex he is only a few months old. We got run out of our last place and had to leave everything behind." The woman said.

"We have a bigger group, so don't try anything." Jack said sounding every bit like his father. "Jude go get dad."

"On it." I ran into the yard and up the steps and entered the house. Knowing full well what I was interrupting I knocked on the door anyway. "Hey guys I know your busy "napping" but we have two strangers and a baby just outside the walls and we are going to let them in. They seem harmless. I think we should have them join the group."

"Judith are you insane." Daryl's booming voice echoed through the still closed door. I could hear them rustling around inside getting dressed and grabbing weapons. Soon they emerged and gave me a look. "You can't just let people in."

"Jack is talking with them. They have a tiny baby and they have nowhere to go. We can use more people on our side you know that."

"Fine lets go talk to them." He grumbled but followed me down stairs and outside to where they stood waiting at knife point with Jack. "Jack?"

"They seem decent dad."

"How many walkers you killed?" Daryl asked the couple. A memory of my dad flashed through my mind then.

"Too many to count over the years." The man said and the woman nodded along.

"How many people you killed?"

"Three." The man told us.

"Why?"

"They tried to harm my family, they wanted what we had and I tried to defend my wife and children."

"There is more children with you?" Beth asked looking around.

"No, our daughter was taken from us a few years ago."

"I am very sorry miss." Beth told the woman who now had tears in her eyes.

"Alright come on in and get cleaned up but I need your weapons until we know we can trust you." Daryl told the man. They quickly handed the knives and a gun over. "They will be but away until needed. We won't harm you and once we trust you they go back to you."

"Thank you. Oh thank you." The woman said walking over and grabbing Beth's hand in her own. The tears that had welled in her eyes fell freely down her face now.

"We have a bunch of extra rooms in this place. The beach is pretty safe at this point. We try to keep things clean in the area so we have something nice to look at. Um we will assign you both jobs once you get some food in you and a good night's sleep." I told the people as we led them inside and upstairs.

"We rigged the hot water tank so we have tons of hot water. Take a nice shower you will feel so much better." Jack said proudly.

"Yeah and if you want I can babysit. I have never been around a tiny baby so far but I'm sure I could figure it out." I told them. "Of course that's once you're comfortable. I will go down and see if we have any baby food." I danced down the stairs with Jack on my trail. I listened to see if they said anything.

"I think heaven has sent us these people Henry. This is all truly a gift from god."

"Jenna we have to be careful. The men…"

"Look like this world has beaten them but they have prevailed. Remember what Ginny used to say?"

"Don't judge a book by the cover."

"Yes our little girl was smart and these people, can be our people we just have to let them in and hope they let us in." Jenna said to him.

"Alright, we will let them in. These people can become family. In this world we make our own families."

Jack and I walked into the kitchen. "They are gonna fit in just fine here with us."

"They are yes. So do you think we should tell my parents about our little secret?"

"I think it's time yeah. I also think they are going to kill us."

"They won't kill us."

"Your dad might." I stated.

"I think we will just get the talk again."

"Maybe Beth will be happy for us Jack?" I told him forming it as a question in the end.

"Be happy about what?" Beth asked as she rounded the corner and stood before us. Daryl came up behind her, his hands on her hips as they stood watching us.

"Mom… Mama… Dad. Judith and I have decided to start our own family." He said spitting it out. Beth's eyes went wide and a smiled appeared on her face. Daryl on the other hand turned two shaded darker as anger appeared on his face.

"We are having a baby." I announced.

"Oh my." Beth whispered before pulling us both into a giant hug. "Daryl save the talk okay, we are going to be grandparents." Her happiness was shocking but a welcome sound.

"Dear god." Daryl said. "Alrigh' we can deal with this."

"Dad, are you mad?" Jack asked.

"Nah son I ain't mad. Just know it's a lot a work to keep a family."

"I know dad and I am gonna make you proud. We both are." Jack hugged his father tightly as Beth and I looked on. The awkwardness poured out of them in waves making us giggle.

"I hope it's a girl." I said happily.

"I guess you better practice a little." The woman Jenna said as she and her husband came down the stairs freshly showered and in clean clothes. Little Baby Henry in her arms. "Here." She held the bundle out to me to take which I did very gently.

"Thank you for taking us in. We will be happy to do our part around here."

"Alrigh' let's show ya around."

 **Well there you have it folks. This story has come to an end. They Are happy and have some new people plus a baby on the way. A short epilogue will come soon. To close it off a little more. I hope everyone has enjoyed this story. Please feel free to leave me some words on what you think of it. I love hearing what you all have to say.**

 **NicoleTheresa**


	23. Chapter 23

**EPILOUGE**

 **This is a little glimpse into the future as we say goodbye to these characters. Thank you to Arrowsandangles for the love and reviews and the kind messages throughout. I love hearing from you.**

 **Let me know what you all think of this little tale. Much love!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own the walking dead or anything related to it. Aside from glassware with their faces on it. My Glenn cup is the best :)**

 **Summary- Judith Grimes is separated from her older Brother Carl three years after the fall of Alexandria. Now with her new found friend Jack she must fight to survive and find her family again.**

 **Judith's POV**

 _ **Flashback**_

" _You can do this Judith, just a little bit more." Beth cooed from between my legs as a contraction hit me hard and I pushed. The baby decided to come a little earlier than we expected but without the advances of medical care it was hard to really know. Fear gripped at my heart the moment the first pain shot through my midsection._

" _Jack… Jack you have too… If I don't…"_

" _Judith babe you'll be okay don't think like that." Jack told me squeezing my hand tightly._

" _Just promise me please." I panted. I remembered the stories of what had happened to my mom when I was born and how she had given up her life to save mine all those years ago._

" _Alrigh' I promise." He said and I knew he was only appeasing me because of the state I am in. Another contraction hit and I could hear Beth urging me to push. I pushed as hard as I could, the burn between my legs was killing me and I wanted to pass out and throw up all at the same time. I fought that urge and kept on going._

 _So the burning stopped and Beth placed a squirming tiny little baby into my arms. "It's a girl." She said happily. I smiled down at my little girl, Jack stood next to me staring down at her. The rest of our family around us to celebrate._

" _What's her name?" Daryl asked._

" _Caroline Lori Michonne Dixon." I announced looking over to my now husband._

" _Caroline?" Beth asked as she looked at our smiling faces._

" _Yeah it was grandma's name."_

" _How did you know that?" Daryl asked Jack._

" _Heard ya outside talking to a gravestone once. You said that name, later I went to see what the stone said and it said loving mother so I took a wild guess."_

" _Hmm."_

" _Is that okay?"_

" _More than okay son." Daryl approved._

" _Welcome to the world Caroline." Beth sang._

 _ **End Flashback**_

"Caroline you look fantastic." I said to my daughter as she stood in a beautiful white dress in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom in our house on the beach. Six years ago when she was about 13 years old the dead ones were cleaned out and the world was starting to heal itself. The population is smaller but people began to return to normal lives. A government was soon formed and towns were rebuilt. People still fear other people and most keep to themselves but a few have built strong alliances.

"Thank you mom."

"When you were born I knew you and Alex would grow closer as you aged."

"Thank you for bringing them into our family, I wouldn't have any of this if you and dad had followed grandpa's instruction." Caroline said sweetly.

"Well your welcome." I laughed lightly.

A knock on the door brought us back to the reality of the day. My little angel is getting married. I opened the door to find my wonderful husband standing in a nice grey suit next to his father who was dressed the same but with a scowl of displeasure on his face. "Come in you too."

"Grandpa, please smile for me today you can change as soon as the ceremony is over." She sang.

"Alrigh' but jus' for you kid." He smirked. Soon Beth joined us in the room with a happy look on her aging face. The grey hairs were not as noticeable on her as they are on her husband but you could still tell that the years were taking their toll on her.

"Everything is ready downstairs… Oh my dear you look so amazing." She cooed.

"Thank you grandma." Caroline said trying not to cry and ruin the makeup she had on. "I am so blessed that you are all my family. I wish I had been able to know the wonderful people I am named after and the other people who were supposed to be in my life, I know they are all up there smiling down on us all today. We made it. We survived an ugly world and now we get to have the good stuff."

"Oh baby girl I love you so much." I replied hugging my little girl tightly to me. Soon the rest of our family joined in on the hug. Music started to play from the beach giving us our cue. We wiped our eyes and Beth and I ran down to take our places while Jack and Daryl walked her down the aisle. Something she had requested when Alex first asked her for her hand in marriage.

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.

.

The day went off without a hitch, everyone who had been invited had a blast at the reception as Beth called it. Her being the only one who has ever been to an actual wedding before the outbreak. Alex and Caroline danced the night away and soon retired to their bedroom in the attic of the house we all shared. Even after it was safe to go back to living as separate families we decided to stay together because that is what family did. Together is better than apart.

"She's married now Jude." Jack whispered to me in the quietness of our bedroom.

"I know, what do we do now?"

"Wait to be grandparents?" He said forming it as a question.

"Yeah let's hope they wait. I don't think your parents could handle the great grand thing yet." He laughed along with me as he wrapped his strong arms around me and held on tight. A peaceful sleep soon took over and happy dreams of our family members who had long since passed danced through my mind.

 **Alright, that is the end of Finding family. Thank you to those who have stuck by me from the very beginning and those that reviewed. I have loved hearing your thoughts on this story. The ending completely changed from when I had first thought the story up but I think it ended on a pretty good note.**

 **Now back to some Bethyl writing!**


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